Dark Magic
by Miss Snazzy
Summary: This story takes place after Eclipse, but before Breaking Dawn. Edward is away on a hunting trip, while Bella is just trying to cope with being alone. Can she stay out of trouble while he's gone? Or will danger find her yet again?
1. Bathroom Torture With Alice

**BPOV**

I stared down at my newly trimmed finger nails that were painted a deep blood red. They were just the most recent torture I was being subjected to. At the moment, Alice was holding me captive in her bathroom, which I had come to call the torture chamber. The countertop was covered in various beauty products intended to aid her in my torture. Of course it was my fault for allowing this. Although, Edward had made it impossible for me to refuse his plans when he had turned the full force of his gaze on me. Not to mention that he had kissed me in a way that should be considered illegal. I could remember the conversation easily…

"Bella…" Edward had said while pulling me to his side. I tried to avoid his gaze but he placed his cool hand under my chin to lift my face up so I would have to look into his eyes. "Just tell me what is so wrong about this idea?" he asked, his eyes searching mine intently.

I gulped. "I like the part about me spending the day with you…" I stopped, allowing my thrumming heart to emphasize my words, "but I don't like it when you spend money on me." I managed to finish.

"You know how my family feels about money," his eyes were smoldering as he continued; "Can't you accept a gift from me knowing that money makes so little a difference in my life?"

I had to remember to breathe. Finally I was able to choke out, "But Edward…" before his nose started trailing along my jaw and down my neck. I forgot how to breathe again as his lips brushed against my earlobe and he released his cold breath on my neck. I shivered and hastily took a breath, sucking in as much of his sweet scent as I could. Then his lips reached my ear and he said, "Won't you give me this one evening? I feel like we have not had a moment alone in a long time… Will you please grant me this one request?"

As if I weren't already putty in his hands, he pulled my face up to his, where our lips made contact briefly. I could feel the electricity burning my lips. His cold breath washed over me again, and I just couldn't find the strength in me to resist any longer. "Please?" he repeated again.

He pulled back slightly and I just barely whispered "Ok," before he kissed me.

Alice's musical voice pulled me out of my reverie with some question about what type of high heels I would like to wear. I decided not to reply, knowing my response probably wouldn't be nice. She had apparently chosen for me because I felt something being slid onto my feet and strapped around my legs. Then she was back to doing my hair. I sighed.

"Oh come on Bella," she said while wrapping a lock of my hair in a very large curling iron. "You should look excited, not like you're on death row and have just been called to the electric chair." I smiled to myself, remembering my previous comparison of this bathroom to a torture chamber.

"You know how I don't like this kind of stuff," I grimaced, gesturing to the mountains of beauty products that she had clearly only bought with me in mind, "or when Edward spends money on me." That was something I had always made clear, but no one seemed to ever want to listen to me. Especially Edward.

"Now Bella, please don't ruin my fun. Or Edward's for that matter." She gave me a stern look as she began wrapping another lock of my hair in the curling iron. I suppose that if I didn't know she was a vampire and was therefore very dexterous, I would've been afraid of getting burned.

I noticed she had her spiky black bangs pinned back with beautiful purple clips that matched her purple blouse and black skirt perfectly. I started to think about what I would look like when I was finally like her. I couldn't help but wonder if I would be beautiful and dexterous. I could just see myself being the first plain and clumsy vampire. I fought to shut out those thoughts. Today was supposed to be a fun day. I was spending the day with Edward. I wouldn't dwell on the torture I was enduring now, or that Edward would be hunting tomorrow, leaving me alone. I would try to forget that I have no idea where I am going tonight…

"Did I mention I also hate surprises?"  
"Yes, you may have mentioned that," Alice smiled, pleased that the curl she had been slaving over was finally to her standards of perfection.

"So, Alice…" I stopped when she put her little hand up. "No Bella, I won't tell you what he has planned. He would bite my head off if I revealed even the smallest detail," she laughed in her musical voice. I knew better than to expect Alice would tell me, but I had to try.

"Aha! I told you I could get those curls to stay," she smiled triumphantly before adding, "Now to get you into your dress."

I frowned as Alice placed a silky sleeping mask over my eyes and pulled me out of the chair. I was surprised it was staying connected with my face without the strap, and that I had managed to stay upright without the function of my eyes. "Oh is it time for bed now?" I asked sarcastically.

"The mask is to keep you from peeking until I am done. Now stay completely still." I smiled as I stiffened my whole body and froze mid-breath. "Good," she said, stretching out the word. My smile turned into a frown when I felt the fuzzy purple robe I had been wearing disappear and something soft and silky being pulled over me. I guess it was too much to hope I could wear jeans and a t-shirt.

I heard something zip and felt the soft material tighten before Alice spoke, "There. I think we're done." Then the mask disappeared and I opened my eyes. I looked into the mirror and started to blush when I was able to take in my whole appearance.

My entire head was covered in big curls that cascaded down my chest and back. My bangs were pinned back on the left side with a little black bow that I assumed had a clip concealed beneath it. I was wearing a deep blue v-neck dress with a corset top that created a prominent amount of cleavage, and thin black ribbon that laced down my back. There was a big black ribbon tied tightly around my waist, exposing all my curves. Though the length of the dress went almost to my ankle, there was a slit up the left side that started halfway between my hip and knee. There was a black ribbon tied at the beginning of the slit, with black ruffles exposing from under the edge of the dress. The deep blue heels were easily three inches high, with the same thin ribbon laced up my calves. On the outside of each of my legs was a tiny black bow.

It took me a few moments, before I was finally able to say "Alice," a few octaves higher than I had intended.

"So what do you think? I'm amazing aren't I?"

"Alice… I can't go out in public wearing _this_! I'm not even sure I'll be able to walk!" I laughed hysterically.

"Now Bella, this is nothing. And you know Edward will be able to catch you in case you fall." I guess she could tell I had stopped listening to stare at the shocking person in the mirror because then she wheeled me around to look at her. "Now don't go making a fuss. You look fabulous and Edward will love it."

If she thought that was going to just stop me from panicking, she was wrong. "But…Alice!" I complained. I was about to throw a tantrum, foot stamping and all, but the look I could see on her face was one I knew all too well. She was having a vision. "What's wrong Alice? Is he ok?" I was filled with fear and despair as the Volturi came to mind. My eyes briefly went to the ring on my left hand. Was I about to lose everything when I was so close to getting everything I had ever wanted?

Finally, Alice opened her eyes, "Relax Bella. He's just home early. It's a good thing we finished ahead of schedule. I'm sure he's just dying to see you," she grinned. Before I could continue protesting my attire, she picked me up and we were at the top of the stairs in a flash.

That was when I saw him standing at the bottom of the stairs, facing away from me. My hand twitched slightly when I saw his untidy bronze hair. I always felt the need to run my fingers through it. As my eyes wandered over the rest of his body, I noticed he was wearing a long black jacket and black slacks. Even though the jacket appeared to be somewhat thick, his muscles were clearly defined. I stood there in awe, when he finally turned around.

He appeared to have frozen, his only movement—his eyes raking over my entire body. I could feel the blush staining my cheeks, as his eyes met mine.

**A/N: This is my first fanfic, so please be kind. I know this chapter wasn't very interesting, but I had to get the beginning out of the way. I mean really, I would love to just jump into the excitement and post the climax now, but then there'd be no build up. If this chapter was completely unbearable for you, I am sorry. All I can say is it will get better, so try to continue reading. **

**Twilight and all its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. **


	2. Just a Drop in the Bucket

**EPOV**

My eyes started raking across her body of their own accord. I couldn't have looked away if I had wanted to. And I needed to…_but I really didn't want to…_

She was wearing an amazing dress that seemed to be tailored to fit her magnificent body. Her chest looked like it was just aching to be free of its deep blue prison. Every curve was clearly defined, leaving little to the imagination… Her left leg was completely visible, appearing smoother than cream. I had a sudden thought that maybe we should spend the entire evening in my bedroom…

I had to be the most unintelligent being in all of existence. How could I have let Alice have her way? I should have said no. I should have told her to find someone else to dress. I should have kept her away from Bella. Wasn't it difficult enough with the terrible thirst my black eyes made quite obvious? Did I need to add to temptation? I admit I knew it would be somewhat difficult spending the evening with her in my current state, but I needed to spend the day with her before I left. And I had not considered the desire I would have for her body…

I suppose I should have guessed when I allowed Alice to dress her, that this would be the outcome. Maybe I had thought Alice would go easy on me, knowing how long I had persevered to delay my hunting trip to the last possible moment. Despite the fact that Bella had agreed to spend the weekend with Alice, staying in my room at night, I was on edge. I hated leaving her, especially for this long. Emmett and Jasper had talked me into going a bit farther away than usual—apparently there was a mountain lion problem that was getting out of hand. We were supposed to leave tomorrow (Saturday) morning, and return Sunday afternoon. Alice had arranged with Charlie, who thought I'd be gone till Monday afternoon, for Bella to stay with us from tonight till Monday morning.

I tore my eyes away to look at her face which was framed by beautiful brown curls, flowing down her chest. I gazed into her chocolate brown eyes as a blush spread across her cheeks. It appeared as if rose petals had rained upon her, leaving just a few that seemed to clutter about her cheeks. I could just hear the blood pulling to her creamy white face…

I had to stop thinking that way. This was my Bella. I would focus on that. No need to think dangerously pleasant thoughts. Unable to hide my excitement, I sped up the staircase, standing just a foot away from Bella. Deciding to get it out of the way, I brought her wrist up to my nose and took a deep breath. I sighed. Ambrosia.

I swallowed down the venom in my mouth and flashed my crooked grin. "Words cannot describe how amazingly beautiful you look right now." I waited for her to resume breathing before I added, "It seems Alice took advantage of the opportunity to dress you." Confident Bella wouldn't notice, I shot a quick glare in Alice's direction.

_Don't give me that look Edward. If you could suck venom straight out of her bloodstream, you can handle one night with her dressed like this. Besides, I don't see anything conflicting with your evening._

"Well considering what you have planned tonight, I wasn't left with many choices…" Alice replied, furrowing her brows slightly.

"Is anyone going to tell _me_ what we're doing tonight?" Bella asked, annoyance evident in her tone. I loved it when she was like this. Sometimes I considered irritating her just for the sole purpose of seeing her pout.

"I'm sorry, but the itinerary is a surprise," I smiled, kissing her palm. I could hear her heart thrumming wildly. It brought me endless joy to know just one of my simple kisses on her palm could get such a reaction. I would try to focus on that, and not the heat of her delicious blood coursing through the veins in her perfect little hand, or the places I would prefer to be kissing…

"Are you ready to start tonight's festivities?" I smiled, waiting for her answer. She was biting her lip before she replied, "I guess." Watching that unconscious gesture made _me_ want to bite her lip. I tried to stifle those thoughts. "Would you prefer to do something else with Alice? I understand if you do not want to spend the evening with me."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "No Edward, of course I want to spend the evening with you… You know I just don't like surprises." Well I suppose I did give her the opportunity to escape. She never ceases to amaze me—the way she so willingly stands at my side, even when I'm clearly a danger to her safety. Sometimes I think she'd even stand by my side if I wasn't a _vegetarian_…

In one fluid movement, I scooped her up in my arms, ignoring her protests as I descended down the stairs. Having her tiny warm body pressed against my cold chest was not helping with resisting temptation—good thing I had so much practice being a masochist. I couldn't stop myself from stroking her cheek, which felt softer than velvet. "Your chariot awaits Miss Swan," I smiled at my formal use of her name, carrying her out the door to my Volvo.

"Mr. Cullen, I do believe the way you are carrying me could be considered inappropriate with our wedding only weeks away," she said, pressing her lips together. I could almost hear the giggle just waiting to escape her lips. Did she still think there was any chance I was going to let her walk?

I smiled my most devilish smile, "Well Miss Swan, I would defy anyone to attempt to pry you from my arms while you are dressed so provocatively. Are you trying to seduce me with our wedding only weeks away?" I asked, using the same words she had used. I gazed into her eyes intently as another blush colored her cheeks.

Another moment went by and her blush deepened. What was making her blush so profusely? "What are you thinking?"

Avoiding my gaze, she looked up and asked, "What time is it?" So she thought she could distract me with the time?

"It's a little after 3:30 in the afternoon. Now what were you thinking a moment ago that had you blushing?" I watched as the blush returned and she said, "Only 3:30? It seems like I've been locked in Alice's bathroom all day."

"Bella…" I pulled her chin down so she would look at me. Her eyes widened innocently as she said, "Yes?" If I wasn't so curious, I would've found her attempt at avoiding my question amusing. "Tell me what you were thinking."

"You probably won't like what I was thinking…" she trailed off, blushing again. What could she have been thinking that had her convinced I wouldn't want to know? Rather than try to guess what she was thinking, I decided to try to _dazzle_ her. I turned the full force of my gaze on hers and tried to sound very persuasive as I said, "Tell me." I watched as her eyes sort of went out of focus, and she finally drew in a deep breath a few moments later.

"I—err…was thinking I'd rather spend the day in your bedroom…" she stammered, her cheeks turning even a deeper shade of red.

I just stared at her, a little shocked. It is one thing for me to be having these thoughts, but it would not be good for her to be thinking the same way. Her track record in restraining herself wasn't very good… She is always far too willing to endanger her life by eliciting certain reactions from myself. I opened the passenger side door, placing her in the seat and fastening her seatbelt. I leaned down and trailed my lips along her jaw. Her breath hitched when I briefly brushed my lips against hers. I quickly brought them to her ear, deciding to treat her confession like a joke and whispered, "Well Miss Swan, we wouldn't want to corrupt your innocence."

Immediately after I had uttered the last word, I shut her door and proceeded to walk to the driver's side. Before I had opened my door, I heard her sigh and mumble, "No, we wouldn't want that."

---

**BPOV**

We had been driving for about an hour, listening to and discussing various songs that caught either of our interests on the radio. He had grabbed my hand almost immediately after he had gotten into the Volvo, not releasing it for even a moment. It seemed like he was determined to keep some part of him in contact with me the entire night, which I had no complaints about. I knew the only reason he had even worn a jacket was in case I got cold, though I did have the jacket Alice had given me. It was a long black v-neck sweater that went down to the beginning of the slit on my left leg. It tied together just below my chest, leaving it and my neck uncovered. Although it looked thin, it was surprisingly warm.

I had noticed that he was wearing an emerald green collared shirt, that wasn't necessarily tight, but seemed to hint at all the muscles underneath. His eyes were unusually dark—he didn't typically spend the day with me like this when he was so thirsty. I mean of course he would spend as much time with me as possible whether he was thirsty or not, but he would always be very careful about losing control. Plus, he usually went hunting in _preparation_ for a trip like this…

I looked out the window and thought I noticed a sign amidst all the blurry landscape. "Are we going to Seattle?" I was hoping after an hour of not asking questions about where we were going that he might be willing to divulge some information. I turned back to him and he was staring at me so intently, that I couldn't help the blush that invaded my cheeks.

"Actually where we're going is thirty minutes east of downtown Seattle," he paused, furrowing his brows in thought, "Well thirty minutes if you're following the intended speed limit." He smiled my favorite crooked grin—causing my heart to skip a beat. I started to wonder if he'd always have that effect on me. Will he be able to dazzle me when my heart stops beating? Will his touch still shoot electricity through my body when my skin is hard and cold?

As much as I wanted to be a—like him, I was unbelievably afraid of how the transformation would change me. Right now all I wanted was him. Although Edward often told me I was like a drug to him, in truth, I was very much addicted to him myself. I just couldn't get enough of Edward. Every cell in my body is just screaming for him, and I am often overwhelmed by his mere presence… But how will I feel when I'm no longer a feeble human? Will I still feel the same way when I'm no longer overwhelmed by him?

I had to believe I would. I'm no where near confident in myself, but I have always been confident in the love I feel for him. It would take something more powerful than death to diminish my love for Edward. I stared out at the clouds in silence when a few minutes later, Edward's voice drew my eyes back to him.

"You've been quiet. Are you regretting agreeing to this?" he asked softly. There was a slight crease on his forehead and I could just hear the doubt in his voice.

"No, I'm just trying to think of what we could possibly be doing tonight." It wasn't necessarily a lie; I had been wondering what I was so dressed up for since Alice had forced me into this ridiculous outfit.

"Have any theories you'd like to share?" He was grinning—probably remembering the theories I had told him when I was still trying to figure out what he was.

"I'm sure you spent too much money on whatever it is we're doing, but that isn't really a theory," I said. He shrugged, "Just a drop in the bucket."

"I guess that wouldn't be bad if the drop weren't already bigger than every bucket in Forks…" I was getting a little tired of the drop and bucket analogy.

"Well if we are considering the financial status of every person in Forks as a single joint bucket…" he trailed off, turning his gaze to the road like there was a huge accident unfolding right before his eyes. I'm not sure why he turned away; maybe it was the look on my face.

He quirked an eyebrow at the road incredulously, "Did you think families like the Newton's accumulated their income from hidden oil wells—leaving the running of their store as just a form of recreation?" I knew the Cullens had a great deal of money, but I had never compared their fortune to the _entire _town of Forks.

"_Edward…how much did you spend tonight?_" I was starting to panic. If one drop was bigger than the entire income of Forks…

He stroked my cheek lovingly, causing me to lose my train of thought and calming me infinitesimally. "Calm down Bella. What I spent doesn't matter. What matters is that we have the rare opportunity to spend the evening together—away from our families." I looked down at my hands, which were fidgeting with the ruffles of my dress. He was right, we rarely did have an evening like this—alone. There was always something getting in our way, like Alice with wedding preparations, or Charlie when he would feel the need to check on me some nights. I decided to put my money worries away for another time when I wasn't so…_alone with Edward._

Edward squeezed my hand, and as I looked up he said with a smile, "We're here Miss Swan."

**A/N: I'm sorry to end it here. It was just getting really long… Don't worry their date WILL be in the next chapter. I hope you've enjoyed the story so far…**

**Reviews make me want to dance. =]**

**[But don't worry…I won't subject your fragile eyes to that sight.] **

**Twilight and all its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**


	3. Color Me Jealous

**A/N: Wow. Longest chapter yet… Is this the start of a trend?**

**Ok here's the first part of Bella and Edward's date. I decided to split it up because it was getting long.**

**BPOV**

I finally looked up and saw a large white building sitting atop the cliff of a mountain. It had become darker outside, making the building stand out against the sky which looked like a deep bluish purple. I thought it somewhat resembled the color underneath Edward's eyes when he is thirsty—like he is now. I had just registered the sound of my door opening when I felt my body being swept up into a pair of cool arms.

"Come on Edward. You can't expect to carry me all night. How will it look when you walk into—_whatever that is_—with me in your arms?"

"It will look like a newly engaged couple has decided to have dinner," he answered smoothly, pulling my left ring finger to his lips and causing my heart to skip a couple beats. His eyes were smoldering and his voice velvet as he continued, "As for me carrying you—I will just look like the fiancée who is so in love that he can't bear to be parted from his soon-to-be bride."

I couldn't help the smile or the blush that filled my face when he said those words. And I couldn't help feeling amazed that someone as magnificent as Edward could love me. My heart started thrumming wildly as he leaned in. He was staring into my eyes intently, and I was just aching for him to close the small distance between our lips. His lips were just an inch away from mine when he smiled, "Are you hungry?"

He could be such a tease.

Ignoring his question, I asked, "Are you?" With his face so close, I could clearly see how thirsty he had to be. He brought his nose to my throat and took a deep breath. "My needs aren't important. Tonight is about us."

My stomach twisted with guilt. As much as I hate when he leaves me, I just can't handle seeing him in pain. I know the only reason he puts off going hunting so long is because he knows how hard it is for me to be away from him.

Hoping to change the subject and lessen my guilt, I made a pointed glance at the cliff. "Aren't we a little overdressed for cliff diving?" The growl that I could hear building in his chest told me enough time hadn't gone by for that joke to be funny.

Although I was looking away, I could feel the anxiety rolling off of him. He put his hand under my chin, bringing my face up to look into his stern eyes. "There will not be any cliff diving tonight."

"I know Edward. I was just making a joke," I replied, hoping to ease his mind.

_So much for lessening my guilt._

My first and only attempt at cliff diving had occurred while Edward and I weren't together, and I had been trying to trigger my hallucinations of him. That endeavor had been enough to last me a lifetime. Lifetime being the key word because I _had_ enjoyed it up until I had started to drown, and was actually hoping to do it again when I no longer needed to breathe.

He narrowed his eyes and said, "It wasn't funny." It was that small act of cliff diving that had almost resulted in both our deaths. I knew he always blamed himself for that close encounter—thinking that if he hadn't left me then I would've never felt the need to perform such a dangerous stunt. He was right, I probably wouldn't have felt the need to cliff dive, but I still hated seeing him shelter the blame for something he had no control over.

"I know and I'm sorry. Now are we going to stand out here all night, or was there a reason for the hours of torture I endured in Alice's bathroom?" I gestured to the outfit I was wearing which had me feeling like a "_My Size Barbie"._

He smiled, looking at the slit of my dress a bit longer than necessary—causing me to blush. Without another word, he proceeded to carry me to the door. I guess he had been bluffing about carrying me all night because he set me down a few feet away from the door, which was being held open by a thin man wearing a black suit and tie.

After sitting in the car for over an hour and having Edward carry me, I was a little wobbly. I probably would've fallen if Edward didn't have such a tight grip on my waist. I had a sudden thought that maybe wearing heels more often wouldn't be all that bad…if he would be willing to hold me this tightly when I did.

The man smiled and greeted us with a simple "good evening" as we entered the brightly lit building. The inside was large and appeared very open with the walls being made up of big windows that showed an amazing view of the cliff side. Edward led us to a podium where a tall woman with short blonde hair was waiting.

She was wearing a white blouse with a black vest and a tight black skirt. The moment she saw us coming, she closed the book she had been writing in and focused all her attention on Edward. This was a reaction I had come to expect whenever I went anywhere with Edward. Although I couldn't blame them for their immediate attraction to him, it still bothered me when women would practically throw themselves at him with me standing right there.

Once we got closer, I noticed something different. Her blouse was unbuttoned so far down that you could just see the beginning of her bra. I could've sworn her blouse had been fully buttoned when we first walked in. Maybe I had imagined it.

I glanced up at Edward, who had his eyes on me, and the look on his face basically confirmed my suspicions. He looked like he was about to burst into laughter. I grimaced. I know Edward is gorgeous and I am very plain, but _how delusional could you get!? Did she think a little peep show was going to have him sneaking off to the bathroom with her during dinner? Didn't she notice me, his fiancée, standing right next to him?_

I think Edward could tell what I was thinking because when I looked into his eyes again he just gripped my waist even more tightly and smiled wider.

"Welcome to Salish Lodge and Spa. My name is Kammie. How may I be of assistance?" I didn't miss the way she stared at Edward, licking her bright pink lips, and basically hinting at the fact that she was offering a lot more than what she was being paid for. Her lips were so huge they looked like a bee had stung them, or maybe she had gotten in a fight. The fight theory seemed more likely because of the sudden urge I had to punch her. I think that if I were to punch her, I would use my left hand just to solidify her chances with Edward, by leaving an imprint of my ring on her make-up plastered face.

He was still staring at me when he replied, "We have special reservations under Cullen." The woman seemed dazed after hearing his voice, but hadn't missed the "we". Reluctantly, she glanced at me momentarily. The look in her eyes was clearly a mixture of jealousy and loathing. She quickly recovered her face, returning her gaze to Edward. I knew she must have been thinking something very unpleasant because all humor had left Edward's face.

After searching a couple pages of the book she had closed when we had entered, she looked back up at Edward, batting her eyelashes as she said, "Ah, Cullen. You have booked the special private dining room on our lower deck. If you would please follow me, I will take you to your table."

We followed her across the room and down a staircase, which led to a large open room. At the end of the room was a pair of large glass doors that led to a medium sized deck. There was a fireplace that had the room comfortably warm. Directly across from the fireplace was the only table, which was placed next to a large window. The only sounds were the fire crackling and soft music playing in the background.

"Please have a seat and your waiter will be with you momentarily." Edward walked us to the table and released my waist to pull out my chair. The table's centerpiece consisted of a vase which contained a bright red rose. In the middle of the table, but slightly off to the side, was a lit candle. The blonde woman waited till Edward had taken his seat before leaning towards him and adding, "Is there anything I can do for you in the meantime?"

I was getting more annoyed by the minute. Edward picked up my left hand, which I had not realized was clenched in a fist. He smoothed it out and began caressing the back of my hand with his thumb when he answered the woman's suggestive question. "No thank you."

She glanced at my hand and grimaced. I guess she had finally gotten the hint because then she sighed and left the room.

Before either of us could say a word, a man who appeared to be in his early twenties walked in. He had hazel eyes and dark brown hair which was styled in a mushroom like cut. He was wearing a white collared shirt, a black tie and black pants.

He stood next to our table with a large smile on his face. "Good Evening. I am Josh and I will be your waiter tonight." Relief washed over me. At least I wouldn't have to worry about another woman throwing herself at Edward.

"We at Salish Lodge and Spa are pleased you have chosen our establishment to satisfy your dining needs. This room is ideal for guests who desire privacy when enjoying their dinner. Many of our dishes tend to inspire romantic feelings, which some guests prefer to explore privately." He winked at me.

_He actually winked at me._

I felt Edward stiffen. When I looked over at him, he was glaring at the waiter. I found that a little surprising—he didn't usually lose his calm expression. His thirst must be making him more irritable…

Wondering if he could feel Edward's glare, I glanced up at the waiter. He was still looking at me, grinning. "Is there anything I can get you to drink Miss? Perhaps one of our fine wines—"

He stopped when he heard Edward clear his throat. We both looked back at Edward whose glare had been replaced by a slightly menacing smile. "I believe you have a list of special instructions to be accompanied with tonight's meal." He paused as the waiter took a moment to look at a notebook he had been carrying, and then continued. "Although that has been taken care of, maybe my fiancée would like to try one of your teas…Bella?"

He was still smiling menacingly at the waiter as he gestured to the menu at our side. A little worried about the waiter's wellbeing, I quickly chose something called "Thousand Day Red Jasmine".

The waiter was still grinning at me as I looked up from my menu. "Fine choice Miss. Please look through our menu for anything you would like to try, while I go get your drink." Without another look at Edward, he turned and left the room.

Now that there wasn't anyone annoyingly winking at me and endangering their life, I was able to focus on the menu.

"That was interesting." I looked up from the menu to find Edward looking at me with furrowed brows.

"What? The slutty blonde or the smiley guy with a twitch?" I asked sarcastically. Something about being tortured all day by Alice and watching _Kammie_ shamefully throw herself at Edward had soured my mood.

His lips twitched. "Yes, she did seem pretty persistent." He frowned. "But then so did he."

I raised my eyebrows incredulously. "He?" Besides being really smiley and winking at me, I thought the waiter was harmless…and far less obvious than the blonde.

"You couldn't hear what he was thinking."

I still didn't think he could be any worse than the blonde. "And what was he thinking?"

He grimaced. "Nothing I would repeat in front of a lady."

Although I still doubted the waiter was thinking anything worse than the blonde, I couldn't help the blush that colored my cheeks. It looked like he was about to say something else, but I cut him off. "Well I don't need the ability to read minds to know what _she_ was thinking."

He sighed. "Yes I think she made her intentions fairly clear. Still…_Josh_ was far worse than Kammie."

"How can you say that? I didn't see Josh revealing any of _his_ undergarments." Edward pressed his lips together tightly. It was the same look he had when we had entered the restaurant.

His eyes widened innocently. "Undergarments? I have no idea what you are talking about." Then he quirked an eyebrow and asked, "Whose been showing you their undergarments?"

I narrowed my eyes. "I don't think the blonde unbuttoned her shirt for _my_ benefit." I made sure to emphasize the _my_.

"Are you jealous?" I didn't miss the smirk on his face.

Avoiding his gaze, I looked down at my menu. I kept my eyes focused on one of the item's descriptions as I tapped my fingers against the table. It took me a minute to realize what I was reading about, and I almost smiled when I finally did. _Blood Orange Sashimi._ It seemed like it would be humorous for me to order a dish involving the word "blood". Especially with Edward so undeniably thirsty.

I heard him sigh and felt him raise my hand to his face. "Although I find you even more attractive when you're jealous, I can't believe you could ever entertain the thought that I might find another woman desirable."

Determined to keep my attention on the menu, I answered with a dismissive, "Mhmm." I know I'm being stubborn. I know he is marrying me in a couple weeks. And I know he loves me. But still…

I looked up when I felt his lips press against my wrist. He was gazing at me lovingly. "How can I convey how much more attractive you are than the blonde…" He pursed his lips at my hand thoughtfully. "One of your fingertips, small and delicate, does more for me than _anything_ that woman could have shone me." He kissed each of my fingertips and my pulse quickened.

He smiled, obviously pleased with my reaction. Sometimes the way he talked about me…was just ridiculous. I looked back at the menu, waiting for my pulse to return to normal.

"See anything you might like?"

I furrowed my brows and pursed my lips. "I was considering ordering the Washington Truffle and Winter Squash Risotto, but that probably wouldn't be a good idea…"

Edward looked at me curiously. "Why not?"

"I wouldn't want to cause you any pain."

He looked confused, but I could hear the curiosity burning in his voice when he asked, "Why would ordering that particular dish cause me any pain?"

My lips twitch as I struggled to keep a straight face. "Well it says there's _garlic_ in it… Isn't that on your list of allergies?"

The booming laughter that came out of his mouth made me jump in my seat. And after the initial feeling of shock wore off, I couldn't help joining in. We were shaking with laughter for several minutes before he spoke. "Ah Bella…you can be so absurd."

Before I could reply, the waiter reentered the room with my tea. I tried to stifle my giggles as he placed the glass in front of me. He still had the same smile on his face. "So have we decided on any dishes?"

Still trying to stop myself from laughing, I pursed my lips and looked down at the menu. "Yes I would like the Washington Truffle and Winter Squash Risotto."

The waiter smiled and turned to Edward who ordered the same thing. Once the waiter left, another giggle escaped my lips.

Edward smiled my favorite crooked grin, making my breath hitch and thereby putting an end to the giggling. He was staring at me intensely when he asked, "Would you like to dance?"

It took me a moment to regain the use of my mouth—it helped that I was now looking down. "Umm…I don't think that would be a good idea because I can barely walk as it is… And you know I can't dance…" I was fairly confident dancing would result in me falling flat on my face.

"Don't worry…it's all in the leading." His voice sounded closer. I looked up and he was standing in front of me. He grabbed my hand and reluctantly, I stood up. The music seemed to grow louder as he led me to the middle of the room.

He used his free hand to bring mine to his neck, and then placed it on my waist. He pulled me closer, and his amazing scent filled my lungs. I looked up at his face and couldn't keep from returning his smile. It was hard for me to believe someone as extraordinary as Edward could love me, but he did. And I loved him immensely—even if he wanted to subject me to dancing. Admittedly, I didn't really mind dancing when I was in Edward's arms.

He spun us around to the upbeat music. Although the music was moving fairly fast, Edward's arms kept me balanced and in synchronization with him. I felt like I was getting the hang of it, and was elated when he spun me away from him and I spun back into his arms without losing my footing.

I was grinning and proud of myself for having successfully completed a dance move, though I knew that all the credit went to Edward. He backed away and made to twirl me. I guess my luck had run out because halfway through the turn, I tripped on a crack in the floor and I could feel myself falling.

I braced myself for the hard wooden floor that was about to get acquainted with my back, but was instead met with cold arms holding me inches from the floor. I gasped and looked up into his dark eyes.

He chuckled, releasing a cool breath on my face. "I told you it was all in the leading." I couldn't help but notice that his face was inches from mine. My pulse quickened, and I'm sure he could hear my heart thumping.

My breath caught as one of his hands—which had been on my waist—descended down my leg to grip my bare thigh. A shiver rippled through me at the feel of his hand. Not because it was cold, but because of the sensation of having his hand on me.

"Did I mention how beautiful you look tonight?" His voice was like velvet and the way he was looking at me…

"You may have mentioned that…" I barely managed to rasp. His thumb started to caress my thigh and I shivered again. I looked into his eyes and what I saw was shocking. The look in his eyes… It was a look I rarely saw. It was desire.

Suddenly, he crushed his lips to mine, making me lose my breath again. His lips moved against mine urgently, and I was already beyond self control at that point when his tongue swept across my bottom lip.

I gasped and he used the momentary opening to enter my mouth. I was very glad he was holding me so tightly because my legs felt so weak, that I'm sure I would've fallen without the support. My tongue battled with his feverishly as my hands ran up his neck to his soft bronze hair. Despite my better judgment, I found myself tugging on the ends of his hair.

He emitted a passionate growl into my mouth, eliciting a moan from me. Then his tongue and lips were gone, and I felt myself being pulled upright. I opened my eyes and he was staring at me…his eyes wild with thirst and desire.

**A/N: Whew! I hope you guys liked the beginning of their date. I'm really not sure if I'm doing a good job with the story…leaving a review is a good way to let me know if I should continue or just keep my ideas in my head.**

**Reviews also make me write faster.**

**Twilight and all its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**


	4. Tasting Fire

**A/N: I'm sorry it has taken me so long to post this. Stupid demanding life…making me put off writing…**

***Shakes fist at the ceiling in anger***

**Anyway, this chapter is HUGE in comparison to the other 3. The majority of the chapter is in EPOV. **

**Good god do I love the EPOVs.**

**EPOV**

Her presence was so entrancing…

I found myself flitting to her side to ask her to dance. The table in-between us was a torturous barrier. I longed to feel her in my arms. It had taken all my will to restrain myself from attacking her with kisses when she made the comment regarding the superstition that garlic repels vampires. Our kind doesn't dislike garlic anymore than any other food. I knew she had been making a joke, but suppose the silly superstition was true?

The idea that her eating garlic could keep me away… _That_ was what I was referring to when I called her absurd.

And then the giggling… The way she looked... The delight I saw on her face as she tried to hush herself… To what could I compare that sight? I could think of no words to describe the extent of her beauty in that moment.

That was why I asked her to dance. _I needed an excuse to be closer to her._

She was reluctant…and I tried to tell myself it wasn't me. She wasn't reluctant to dance with _me…_ She was just reluctant to dance.

Did I need to remind myself that not only did she consent to marry me but she had also chosen to end her life so she could share eternity with me?

Did I need more proof of her love?

I led her to the middle of the room and proceeded to move us along with the beat. She seemed a bit stiff—like she was certain she would fall at any moment. Despite a powerful desire to remain close to her, I decided that she needed a boost in confidence. I unraveled her body from mine so that she was standing an arm's length away. After a portion of a second, I spun her back into my arms.

Several of her curls brushed against my face as she spun back into my arms. The fragrance was Bella's natural scent, infinitely better than anything that could be found in a bottle, but there was also a slightly stronger strawberry flavor that tinted her curls tonight and made her smell even more mouthwatering…

Although her initial reaction to the spinning maneuver had been fear, she was now brimming with excitement. The grin stretching across her face had me smiling too, as I made to increase her enjoyment with a twirl. She was halfway through the turn when I noticed the edge of her heel colliding with a crack in the floor.

Desperate to ensure her safety, I swiftly placed my arms underneath her and caught her inches from the floor. Bella gasped, looking into my eyes with fear and surprise dominant in her features. I chuckled and released a breath I had not realized I was holding.

_Leave it to Bella to find danger in a crack in the floor._

"I told you it was all in the leading." As her eyes searched my face, her pulse quickened. Her heart beats had increased in volume. What was causing this reaction? Was it in relation to her almost falling?

No. That wasn't it. She had fallen plenty of times, and usually dismissed it immediately. She never was one to fret about her personal wellbeing. Was it because of me? Possibly…

We are in what some could call a compromising position—my arms being wrapped so tightly around her that I can feel almost every inch of her warm little body against my cold frame.

Her attire was also something to consider.

The way her chest seemed to be forcing its way out of her dress… The brilliant blue—I have always liked that color on her. My eyes darted to her leg.

There was also the rarity of that much of her legs being uncovered. Constant rain had kept her in jeans and sweats for the majority of the time. But in this dress…I could clearly see most of her thigh.

Acting less with my mind and more out of instinct, I brought my hand up to the creamy white skin of her thigh which had been exposed by the slit in her dress. She shivered. My hands must be too cold for such a sensitive area. I should probably move my hand…

I gazed into her chocolate brown eyes—losing my train of thought. They were so filled with warmth. She needed to know how extraordinary she is. "Did I mention how beautiful you look tonight?"

"You may have mentioned that…" It seemed that she was still recovering.

The raspy sound of her voice helped me regain my train of thought. My cold hand on her thigh… It was so warm and soft that I couldn't resist moving my thumb back and forth.

_That was not what I had meant when I was contemplating moving my hand._

She shivered again.

This time was different. This time it didn't make me concerned about the temperature of my hand. I don't know what it was…but the way her body shook in my arms—joint with the movement of my hand on her glorious thigh… Electricity shot through my body from the sensation of the emotion I had never known before meeting Bella. Desire and love.

I crushed my lips to hers, trying to convey the depth of my feelings through the movement. I could feel her full bottom lip against mine, and just had to have a taste.

I swept my tongue across her bottom lip and she gasped, granting me entrance to her mouth.

The feeling of her warm tongue battling against mine was otherworldly. And the _taste…_

I could feel her warm hands moving up my neck to my hair. As she began pulling at the ends, an unexpected growl erupted from my throat in an unconscious response to my pleasure.

Then I heard Bella make the most exquisite sound…

Several emotions hit me at once—like lightning.

_I want to take her…right here, right now. Why wait till the honeymoon? Why prolong the agony of the growing tension? _

_I want to tear that dress off her body. I want to rake my fingers over every inch of her._

_I want to make her mine. In every way possible._

_I want to just tilt her head to the side, and pierce the delicious skin of her neck. I want to sink my teeth into her glorious flesh…and maybe have a little taste—before I change her. _

_I want to make her mine. I want to leave a mark upon her—to ensure everyone knows she belongs to me. _

It would be quite easy to achieve these goals. Barricading the door would take less than a second.

Without loosening my grip, I jerked my tongue from her mouth and pulled us upright, hoping to clear my mind which was now buzzing with many different thoughts and images.

I stared down at her…watching as the lavender lids of her eyes lifted, and her deep brown eyes looked into mine in shock.

Once I saw that look…all the images in my head became tainted.

Tainted with the pain it would cause Bella.

If I satisfied my need to claim her…what would be the cost? What if I lost too much control with her and the monster within me took over? All he would need is a mere moment to destroy everything I value in this world.

_Mind over matter._

My mind and my body were constantly waging a war against each other. _As well as my instincts._

There were the instincts I had fought to control since Carlisle first changed me. And then there were the _other_ instincts that had been buried so deep inside me…that I had thought they were lost with my human life. The first part thirsted for her blood. _The other part…thirsted for her body._

I hadn't forgotten that my hand was still firmly gripping her thigh.

I stared down at my hand in fascination. How could such a simple gesture have such a powerful effect? I knew the answer to that. Bella.

She was the reason I could actually feel. She was the reason for my pain. She was the reason for my pleasure. She was the reason for my existence.

I am far too thirsty. And she is far too tempting.

_I wonder if that boyfriend of hers would notice if I slipped my number into the napkin wrapped around her silverware. Just a little more of that "Yes, Miss" junk that makes the ladies think I'm all proper. Maybe he'll go to the bathroom…and then I can make my move. It's not like I haven't done it before. I could wait for him to leave, and then get a quick handful… _

I snarled as Josh's thoughts trailed off into several grotesque images.

I felt Bella stiffen against me. I was still overwhelmed with desire for her, but the anger I felt after hearing that pervert's thoughts had helped to tone it down. Josh was about ten seconds from opening the door. I contemplated maintaining this position just to show that sicko he has no chance, but decided against it. It would be harder to break his vile face with my arms wrapped around Bella.

I scooped her up into my arms and had her seated across from me five seconds before Josh opened the door. Bella was looking at me with a mixture of worry and fear. I wanted to reassure her with a smile, but Josh's current thoughts were preventing me. He had just opened the door and was standing in the doorway.

_Mmm…just look at that cleavage! And that tight little ass! She seems kind of shy though… Hmm. That may not be a problem. A little vodka would loosen her up. Plus, you know what they say about the shy ones…they aren't so shy when you get them in the sack._

My mouth filled with venom.

If I have to sit here and listen to his thoughts any longer…I may lose it. At least his thoughts earlier had been a bit tamer. But _this…_is just ridiculous.

He walked in, still smiling the same sickening way at my Bella. If she had not been sitting across from me, I'm sure I would've ripped out his throat.

"Here you are Miss—The Washington Truffle and Winter Squash Risotto." He was slightly leaning towards Bella, using the excuse of placing her plate upon the table to inch himself closer.

_I wonder why she has that weird look on her face. Maybe she's scared her boyfriend will be mad at me for stealing her._

As he glanced at me, I attempted to threaten him without using physical contact—though I would without a doubt prefer that method. His smile fell quickly and he flinched as his eyes took in my expression. I was glaring at him with all the hatred I felt toward him.

It was a silent promise that if he continued on the path he is on… I would return once Bella is safely sleeping in my bed.

He slowly backed away from Bella. I could smell the fear on him—his palms had even begun to sweat. "I-I…uh hope you enjoy your d-dinner." He quickly retreated from the room.

_Damn it. And she was really hot. Oh well. Maybe Kammie—_

Now that his attention was focused elsewhere, I had no reason to monitor his thoughts. The sound of Bella sighing brought my gaze back to her. She was looking at me with an understanding look on her face.

"Was that really necessary?" She sighed again, rolling her eyes. She was picking at her food—I hope my antagonistic behavior toward Josh did not impede her appetite.

**BPOV**

Why was he getting so worked up over that waiter?

I had been shocked by the intensity of Edward's feelings—he didn't usually allow himself to move so freely…he was usually really restrained. I was even more shocked when I found myself sitting in my seat across from him a few seconds later.

I was really starting to get worried and was just about to ask him what was going on, when Josh came in with my food. I could feel the tension rolling off Edward as the waiter got closer. I feared for the waiter's safety.

Judging by the way Edward was glaring at him, there must've been something really bad going on in Josh's mind. But what could it have been?

_Wait…_

_Holy crow! Was it about me?_

_No…it couldn't have been about me. _

My cheeks flamed as I thought of all the possible reasons Edward would have to be angry about my involvement in Josh's thoughts.

"Was what necessary? And _why_ are you blushing?" he asked, scrutinizing my face. He couldn't possibly think I didn't notice what had just happened.

"Was the death glare necessary? I mean what was he thinking that had you so angry?" I really didn't want to tell him the reason I was blushing. I saw a momentary flash of the anger I was referring to in his eyes. He composed his face and seemed hesitant about answering my questions. He gestured to my food which I had been unconsciously picking at, but not eating.

This reminded me of the night I had dinner with him in Port Angeles. He had finally decided he could trust me, and told me the truth about his unique abilities while I ate. Unfortunately, the memory also reminded me of the other reason that night was significant. It was the night those men had attacked me. I gulped, wondering if what the waiter had been thinking resembled what the men had been thinking.

"He was getting on my nerves. I felt it would be in his best interest if he made himself scarce." His eyes narrowed as he said this, and I could hear the warning in his voice.

"Oh," was all I could say. Edward didn't look like he was willing to divulge anymore information about the reason for his anger, and I had a feeling I wouldn't really want to know what the waiter had been thinking.

I let the subject die, and eventually we were chatting happily while I finished my dinner. I took a sip of tea and in an attempt to get some information, I asked, "So…what's next on tonight's agenda?"

He just smiled at me tentatively and said "You'll see." I was pretty sure he would've had me order dessert if he wasn't opposed to the waiter entering the room.

He put his arm around my waist, guiding me out of the room and back to the podium where the ever persistent Kammie was waiting with a smile.

"Was your dinner to your liking?" I sighed as I watched the blonde bat her eyelashes at my fiancée. I looked up at him and he was looking at me, nodding in response to the question. His lack of attention to her made her tone down the flirting. It took a lot for this woman to take a hint.

She handed him a shiny silver credit card. The blonde scanned it and looked a little hopeful as she said, "Well come see us again soon…"

We turned around and exited the restaurant. His mood seemed to instantly lift once we were out that door. We walked to the car and I waited by my door, fidgeting with one of the bows on my dress. I was surprised when he just pulled something out of the glove box and locked the door. I looked up in confusion as he came to stand by me—his hands behind his back.

He smirked. "Close your eyes…" I eyed him suspiciously. What was he up to? I tried to duck around him to see what he was concealing, but he was too quick.

"What are you doing?"

"It's a surprise." His eyes were alight with excitement. I eyed him dubiously, but closed my eyes because I loved seeing him happy. I felt something soft cover my eyes and wrap around my head. I opened my eyes to a piece of blue cloth.

"What's this for?" It was hard enough for me to walk along a flat surface with sight—I couldn't imagine the injuries I would sustain from wearing this…

"It is to keep you from peeking." I could hear the enthusiasm in his voice. Without the distraction of his appearance, I was really able to appreciate the beauty of his sound. It was the most amazing sound I had ever heard. Better than any symphony.

My legs gave away as Edward scooped me up into his arms. I guess I wouldn't have to worry about getting injured…

All I could feel was the cool air whooshing passed us as he ran to the unknown location. The only sounds were his steady breathing and the crashing of waves against rocks—which appeared to be getting a bit louder.

Eventually, I felt Edward stop and place me on my feet. He had a tight grip on me—probably expecting my legs to be unstable. He was holding me from behind and I felt his arms move as he removed the blue blindfold.

I opened my eyes and scanned my surroundings. There was a large majestic waterfall to our left, and I could see the faint light coming from the restaurant atop the cliff. We were standing in a field of luscious green grass and the rows of trees surrounded us in a semi-circular shape, creating a sort of clearing. Lying on the grass a few feet away was a large black quilt accompanied by a bottle of wine in an ice bucket and a small table with two wine glasses sitting on top.

I could feel Edward scanning my face as he asked, "So what do you think?"

"It's amazing. I mean…wow."

"I thought it might be nice to enjoy tonight's meteor shower in private," he smiled.

"Meteor shower?" I had never seen a meteor shower before, nor had I heard there was supposed to be one tonight. I had always wanted to witness one.

"Yes, I had Alice look into the future for tonight and she said there should be a magnificent meteor shower in about ten minutes." It was astonishing that Edward could ever be anymore perfect than he already is. And then he does something like this…

It was all so romantic…so Edward. If he continues to treat me this way once we're married, I'm going to get spoiled. I grimaced as an image of Rosalie popped into my head.

"There's no reason to feel self-conscious…I told Alice not to look into anything about tonight, with a few exceptions." He must've thought I was grimacing at Alice looking into the future.

"What exceptions?"

"You know, out-of-control vehicles, cracks in the floor, whether one of the meteor rocks will impale you…" He was grinning as he recalled my accident resume. The idea that a meteor rock might land on me wasn't totally farfetched.

_Hello. My name is Bella Swan and I am an accident magnet._

Or in Edward's opinion, _a magnet for trouble._

We walked over to the quilt and I crawled into Edward's lap in the middle. The quilt was unexpectedly warm and very soft. I could feel the air becoming colder and wasn't surprised when Edward shrugged out of his jacket to wrap it around me. It isn't like Edward gets cold. He usually only brings his jacket for me in case I get cold, or to keep up the human charade.

I was looking up at the stars when he asked, "Would you like a glass of wine?" His cool breath on my neck made me shiver, and I was glad when Edward only held me tighter. Without entirely releasing me, he used one hand to grab the wine bottle out of the ice bucket and began pouring a glass—I guess the other glass was only for show.

"Edward, you know I can't have wine." I looked up at him and he was smiling.

"Why not?"

"Well I'm not legally able to…"

He cut me off and raised his eyebrows incredulously as he asked, "The legalities? Is that what you are concerned about?"

"Of course I care about breaking the law. Unless you have forgotten, Charlie is a cop. I was raised to obey all laws. I mean…what would Charlie do if he saw me drinking?"

"First, Charlie is not here and therefore will not see you if you drink a glass of wine. Second, since when do you follow the rules? I'm living—well existing—proof of this."

I furrowed my brows in confusion. "What do you mean? There aren't any laws against you..."

"Bella, I am against the laws of nature. I am not meant to exist. And you being with me is definitely breaking one of nature's rules." He looked sad as he said this, and I couldn't bear for him to feel that way about us. I decided to try to take the conversation down another path—a more humorous one.

"Well I'm not going to argue about breaking the laws of nature…" I was sure he would never concede to my view and decided to skip that, "but I would like to know why you are set on having me drink wine. Are you trying to get me drunk?" I raised my eyebrows at him and was pleased when he smirked. I knew this statement could've taken this conversation down a less friendly path about why he has to be careful with me and blah blah blah—I'd heard it before.

"I figured it would only be fair. Your mere presence has me feeling intoxicated… You should have to feel the same way." He smiled my favorite crooked smile and I lost my train of thought, but this feeling gave me fuel for my next argument.

"It would be less fair if I were drunk. You are a lot more coherent than I am…especially when you dazzle me. And this is when I'm sober…I can't imagine how much worse it could get if any of my other senses became impaired."

He tilted his head to the side and smirked as he looked at me curiously. "It can get worse?"

This question had me bursting into laughter. He laughed along with me as my body shook with laughter. But then I started to think—could it get any worse? That didn't seem possible. The way my heart beats faster whenever I am even just thinking about him made me think it was unlikely.

After the laughter died down, he handed me the glass of wine. I took a sip, deciding that if it would make Edward happy, I would try it. My life was going to end soon, so this opportunity probably wouldn't come again. It was light and bubbly as it went down my throat. It tasted good actually—like apples.

I finished the glass rather quickly, and Edward was already waiting to pour me another glass. Once my second glass was empty, he took it and set it on the table. I was glad I didn't have to argue with him—I had never had an entire glass of wine and was worried about the way it would affect me.

We both lay down side by side, looking up at the stars. It wasn't long before I could feel the affects of the wine. My body felt sort of tingly and it was getting warmer. My cheeks were probably red, even though I wasn't blushing. Edward propped himself on his elbow and was smiling when I looked over at him.

He was looking at me in such a loving way… I'm not sure why I did it, but I started giggling.

After a couple moments, Edward asked, "What's so funny?"

I wasn't really sure I could answer that. I decided to give him my best guess. "You love me." The giggling increased, reinforcing my theory. I always thought it was so amazing that someone like him could love me.

My fit of laughter ended abruptly as he moved to lie on top of me. I could feel his chest lightly pressing against mine. I was frozen besides my heart beating erratically as he moved his head down to my stomach. The look in his eyes was determination.

He brought his lips to my belly button and planted a soft kiss. I could feel his soft cold lips through my thin dress, and was surprised when a giggle escaped my lips.

I quickly cupped my hands over my mouth as his head shot up. The look of caution on his face was hilarious—I couldn't hold in my laughter.

Although this reaction had clearly taken him by surprise—and me for that matter—he continued to trail kisses up my stomach. Each kiss left little sparks on my stomach, which made me giggle even more. Eventually he made it to the middle of my bra.

**EPOV **

I had kissed my way up her stomach to the middle of her chest. Her thin dress and overheated skin—most likely from the alcohol—left my lips feeling warm and tingly with the slight electric current I could feel every time I made contact with her skin.

I was watching her with love and devotion as she looked up at the stars. When she saw me staring at her, she had giggled again. I do not know for certain why seeing her laugh was such a turn on, but maybe it had something to do with the unbridled joy I could clearly see in the act.

When she said I loved her and the laughter increased, my usually more dormant instincts made me climb on top of her. Her giggling was not a reaction I had been expecting when I kissed her belly button, but the happiness that came with it could hardly make me cease my actions.

I moved my face slightly to the left, and began kissing the skin along the beginning of the dress. Overcome with need, I poked my tongue out to taste her overheated skin. It was like licking fire, but it was worth every blistering moment.

She brought her hands to my shoulder and began caressing up my neck to my hair, and then back down again. She repeated the movement a couple times before leaving them in my hair, to tug lightly.

It felt extraordinary.

Her chest was heaving under my lips and in an attempt to distract myself from this and her hands; I brought my lips up to her neck. She giggled again and as I looked up, I caught a glimpse of the empty wine glass.

_I am a fiend. _

Admittedly, my sole intention with the wine was to make sure she had the opportunity to taste it before it was too late, but something about doing this while her judgment is impaired…seemed horribly wrong.

I couldn't help but compare myself to the perverted waiter, Josh. What made me any better? My thoughts were anything but innocent, and I had even in his words, _"loosened her up"_ with alcohol.

I removed my lips from her neck and clenched my teeth tightly as venom filled my mouth. I was no better than that sicko. At that moment, I noticed the meteor shower had started.

I fought against the screaming thoughts and instincts that told me to remain on top of her and continue. The whole point of this secluded spot was to give us privacy as we watched the meteor shower. The quilt was only here so Bella wouldn't get cold lying on the dewy grass. Neither the privacy nor the quilt were here as a means to aid myself in stealing her virtue.

I removed myself from her overheated skin to lie back in the position I had taken before losing control. She was pouting at me in the cutest way as she said, "Hey I wasn't finished."

I smiled crookedly, making her grin widely in the process. Although the alcohol had made me feel terrible for taking advantage, I liked how easy it made appeasing her.

She crawled over to me to lie on my chest and I wrapped my arms around her. She sighed as she looked up at the sky. I couldn't tell anyone the way the sky looked tonight, for I was too captivated watching the infinitely more beautiful Bella.

After a short time, her breathing was deep and calm. I watched as she fought to keep her eyelids up, seeming determined to remain awake. Her stubbornness was no match, as her eyes stayed close. I waited to ensure she was sleeping deeply, before I picked her up into my arms.

I used one arm to hold her against me securely, and used the other to scoop up the ice bucket, wine bottle, wine glasses (I had only asked the restaurant for two so they wouldn't ask questions), and small table into the blanket. I swung the makeshift sack over my shoulder, and placed my hand, now fisted around the opening of the sack, underneath her again.

I jumped from rock to rock and climbed with ease, back up the cliff to the parking lot. I reclined her seat and laid her down, covering her with the now empty quilt. I climbed into my side and left the radio off as I quietly started the car.

While I was driving, I kept my eyes on her, stroking her cheek and moving a stray curl from her face. Suddenly she snatched my hand from her face and brought it to her neck. I began to panic.

Was she asleep? What was she going to do with my hand?

I was really hoping the alcohol wasn't influencing her to do anything inappropriate.

Snuggling up into a little ball, she brought my hand to the crook of her neck and laid her head on top of it. There was a small smile playing at the corners of lips as she sighed deeply.

I was unbelievably relieved that I wouldn't have to pull my hand away and I was filled with joy that I could make her smile even when she was unconscious.

It was silent for a moment when she whispered, "Edward" and sighed again.

---

Quietly, I turned off my Volvo. Removing my hand gently, I went to her door and brought her up into my arms. I walked up the steps and through the door, as Esme and Jasper greeted me silently with their thoughts.

Esme was sitting at the computer smiling. _Hello Edward. Did you have a nice evening? You really deserved some alone time with her. I bet Bella was happy about that…_

I nodded silently and her smile grew. I walked passed Jasper who was sitting on the couch, watching the news. _You seem really happy…and so does she. She's practically radiating with love._

He looked up and smiled at me before returning his gaze to the television. I continued to walk over to the stairs, and wasn't surprised to find Alice waiting on the top step. _Hi Edward. How was dinner? Did you like the dress? Did Bella like the meteor shower?_

I frowned a bit at the dress and the thought of how much harder it had made keeping my control. Alice narrowed her eyes at me. _Don't give me that look. You know you loved it._

Ignoring that thought, I whispered in response to her questions, "Like you need to ask me what happened tonight… I'm sure you kept close tabs even though I asked you not to."

She nodded slowly, frowning. _I admit I did take a couple peeks…it's hard not to. I've become so in tune with Bella that sometimes I see things despite my efforts to remain in the dark. I didn't really see anything though. Just some dancing and when the waiter winked at Bella…_

She raised her eyebrows at me as I grimaced at the memory of that pervert. _You can tell me about it later if you want. If Bella doesn't get in bed in a couple minutes, she's going to wake up._

Although I had no intention of explaining the incident with the waiter, I nodded and made my way to my bedroom. Using one arm to support her weight, I used my other hand to remove her shoes. She was going to have to sleep in her dress because I was sure seeing her naked would result in my complete loss of control.

I placed her under the covers and was overwhelmed with sadness as a tiny frown replaced the smile that had been on her lips since she had said my name in the car. I decided to lie next to her and once my body made contact with hers again, the smile reappeared. Then she whispered "I love you Edward Cullen."

I smiled widely and pulled her into my arms. She sighed, placing her head on my chest and mumbled, "Mrs. Edward Cullen."

**A/N: *Smiles widely and says the last line to herself***

**I want to thank everyone who has been reviewing. You don't know how much I appreciate it. It actually made me crazy all week with the desire to write. I found myself staying up an extra hour every night, just so I could make some progress. **

**I hope you guys enjoyed all the—I vant to suck her blood—ness of the first EPOV. I feel I should mention that although this Salish Lodge & Spa place is real, some of the descriptions are from my own imagination. So if you've been there, don't start attacking me with things like "The blonde whore's name is Sara not Kammie…"**

**Reviews are better than getting caressed by Edward Cullen.**

**Haha. That is such a lie. No not lie. It's blasphemy.**

**Twilight and all its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**


	5. Blackberry Brambles

**A/N: I am so sorry it has taken me so long to post this chapter. I was just about finished last night…when I had an idea. I thought, "Hmm. I wonder how it would sound if I did this…"**

**Of course that idea then spiraled out of control and I liked it so much, I decided to keep it. =]**

**Unfortunately, that meant other things needed to be edited/rearranged. **

**I was crazy anxious to finish this chapter. I was actually making notes in my notebook during red lights, while I was driving to work today.**

**So this chapter is very long and all in BPOV. The next chapter will be in EPOV.**

**BPOV**

I was sitting there in Edward's lap, his arms wrapped tightly around me. Despite the wine I had been drinking, I was very cold.

So very cold.

I shivered and was worried that Edward would take that as his cue to move away. I looked up into his eyes and gasped. They were pitch black…all signs of the usual butterscotch color were gone. But that wasn't what made me gasp. It was the emptiness of his eyes…

They were dark, cold, and shallow. All the depth was gone. They were like miniature black holes—empty and dead…void of emotion.

The emptiness.

He was staring straight ahead, breathing calmly and paying my gasping no attention. I adjusted myself in his arms so that I was facing him.

"Edward." No response.

"_Edward!_" Still, nothing.

Placing my hands on either side of his face, I caressed his cheeks. He didn't move an inch. I was starting to hyperventilate and in a fit of panic, I slapped him across the face.

"EDWARD! Look at me!" I pleaded, desperate to know he was ok.

He didn't even blink.

"Edward, what's wrong? _Please talk to me!_" I was now snapping my fingers in front of his face. My eyes were level with his, but they were still only looking straight ahead…right through me.

Suddenly I heard something rustling in the trees behind us. Startled, I tore my gaze from Edward and yelled over his shoulder, "Who's out there?"

Something bright started emerging from the trees. I couldn't make out his face, but he was wearing all white. He held up his hand, palm facing out toward us.

Clutching him tightly in my arms, I screamed "Edward!" as my vision was blinded by a bright white light.

I was still sitting up and my vision was returning with the bright light gone, but Edward was no longer in my arms. I started to panic, when I felt his cool embrace around me.

"_Bella! What's wrong?_" His voice was filled with panic.

It was then that I realized I was sobbing, and the reason I couldn't quite see was because of the tears clouding my eyes. I wiped my tears away and shuddered at the memory of Edward's empty eyes.

I snapped my head up which was lying on his shoulder, to inspect his eyes. I put my hands on either side of his face and turned it left and right. His eyes were still black with thirst, but not cold, or as dark as they had been in my dream. And his eyes weren't empty…they were filled with worry and concern as they searched my face.

I sighed and brought my lips to his. Although he had stiffened, I kissed him slowly for a few moments. He gently pried me from his face, holding me back a few inches.

"As much as I enjoy kissing you, I would like to know what you were just dreaming about. You were practically hyperventilating in your sleep and the way you were saying my name…"

A broken sob and fresh tears escaped my eyes. After a few minutes of him silently rubbing my back, I recalled the dream's every eerie detail through my quieting sobs. I didn't usually remember so much of my dreams. I was worried about telling him the way his eyes looked, but instantly felt better when I said it out loud. The look in his eyes when I told him how panicked I was when he wouldn't respond to me, had me apologizing at the end.

"Don't ever be sorry about something that is a natural occurrence in which you have no control over." His brows were furrowed slightly, probably still worried I was going to start sobbing again.

Looking around, I noticed his blankets were twisted around my whole body—I must've been thrashing about in my sleep. I frowned as I cleared my eyes. I'm sure seeing me like that wasn't pleasant for Edward. My psychotic brain was the only thing he would never have access to, and therefore he was powerless in protecting me from my disturbing nightmares.

I looked into Edward's eyes thoughtfully, and he smiled. Why were his eyes like that and why wouldn't he respond to me in the dream? Why did his blank eyes scare me so much? What could have possibly happened to him? _And who was that person amidst the white light?_

There wasn't a single question I could answer.

I would have to figure it out later because there was another question floating through my mind. _How had I gotten here? _The last thing I could really recall was something about wine and Edward… Oh!

I looked down at my clothes, finally noticing that I was still wearing my dress. I frowned again. What had I been expecting? Of course nothing happened… I mean if anything had, I'm sure I would definitely remember.

Although…I did remember there being some lapses in his control... My heart beat picked up as I remembered the look in his eyes when he caught me inches from the restaurant floor. I started to blush when my mind wandered to the quilt…

He looked so determined when he started kissing my stomach—despite the wine and my strong urge to become an active participant, I had actually managed to stay still.

That level of control deserved an award.

I mean holy crow! I hadn't attacked him…_even with the sparks shooting up my body._

That triumph had me grinning like an idiot. Edward's eyebrows raised and he tilted his head. "You look happy."

I blushed. "I'm just remembering last night…"

He chuckled. "I'm surprised you can remember anything from last night. You were practically drunk after only two glasses of wine."

My blush deepened as I tried to defend myself. "Well it's not my fault my body hasn't built up a tolerance for it. It's not like I make it a habit of drinking vodka."

"I suppose that is true. I'm glad that you don't. I'd hate to see what kind of trouble you could get into when your judgment is already so severely impaired when you're sober." He was still smiling, but it no longer touched his eyes. I knew what he meant about my judgment being impaired. He was referring to himself.

In an attempt to steer the conversation away from that, I decided to bring up someone that was sure to get a response out of him. "Well it wouldn't matter if I drank that whole wine bottle…that waiter still wouldn't have a chance with me, with you around." I smiled, hoping he didn't see through my horrible effort to make a subject change. The smile on his lips told me he did.

I could never get anything passed Edward.

"Oh? So you're saying if I had not been there he would've had a chance?" Oh no. Oops. That's not what I had meant at all.

I could feel my face burning. "You know that's not what I meant."

He was now grinning. "You're blushing. If it isn't true, then why are you blushing?"

Touching my face right now, would probably be like touching a light bulb. "My body does plenty of things I have no control over."

"Just a bodily reaction? A bit of a coincidence don't you think? Your body just happened to decide to pull its blood to your face right after you admitted that you would take the waiter in my absence." His expression was so sad...but I could still see humor lighting his eyes, so I tried to focus on that.

_He doesn't really believe that…he's just messing with you…_

I wasn't going to be able to win this argument. With every intention of leaving the room, I flung my legs over the side of the bed. They were only dangling there for a second because suddenly, I felt something pull me back swiftly—knocking the air out of me.

On either side of my head were two strong arms, like iron bars on a cage. I looked up at Edward who was now hovering above me. His eyes were smoldering in such a way—that I felt like a tiny mouse caught in the hypnotic gaze of a serpent.

"You aren't going anywhere." His voice was deep…almost like a growl. I took a deep breath and felt my heart start beating again. The sound of my heart and his voice, echoed in my ears.

"Well if you aren't going to—" My eyes widened in shock because Edward's lips were now clasped tightly around my bottom lip—preventing the rest of my response. My lip felt like it was on fire in between his cool ones.

Swiftly, he released my lip and was back to his original position, hovering over me. I guess the point of that was to keep me from speaking. That's fine, I don't need to speak. Actually, I don't really think I'm capable of speech at this particular moment…

His eyes were still smoldering, and his intense gaze was just making my body scream with all the electricity coursing through my veins. Then in a voice that was no longer a growl, but more like a purr…he said, "I'm going to make you forget all about Josh."

His mouth lunged for my neck like a snake, but instead of a venomous bite, he left a soft kiss—producing another electric current that shot through my body.

His cool tongue poked out and licked my hot skin as he kissed his way up and down my neck. His arms were still there and I was still frozen from his hypnotic gaze. Then his lips reached my earlobe and he whispered against it, "Now, can you tell me what the name of our waiter was?"

I knit my brows together in concentration. _What had been his name? Travis? Terry? It was with a "T" right? _

He was back in his original hovering position, searching my face.

Silly Edward…thinking he needed to make me forget that simple waiter…when I couldn't even remember what he looked like, much less his name.

I must've had a very frustrated expression because then he laughed—shaking the whole bed. "It's alright love. I know what you meant." And with that, he was gone.

_Stupid quick vampires. With their endless amounts of self-control…and hypnotizing gazes…and their love of inducing Bella's heart attacks…_

I laid there for a moment, trying to restart my heart and calm my breathing. Edward reappeared a second later, lying next to me on the bed. I knew that look. I loathed that look. It was the—_I have to leave now—_look.

His expression was earnest as he held my face in his hands. "I will be back in a few days, and _I will_ think of you every moment we are apart." He was looking into my eyes intensely, and his face became even more solemn as he continued. "_You will keep yourself safe. You are the reason for my existence and without you, I am nothing._"

It was really the other way around, but I didn't want to argue. He crushed his lips to mine, kissing me softly but with so much passion, that I was starting to feel a little lightheaded again. I brought my hands to his neck—trying to restrain myself from running them through his hair. Suddenly, he stiffened and I froze.

My mind was racing. _Was this too much for him? He didn't seem to be losing control a few minutes ago… _

Then I had a thought that made me unbelievably grateful that Edward could not read my mind.

_If he loses control and bites me, then I can go hunting with him. _

That thought would get me into all kinds of trouble. I felt him relax as he removed his lips from mine and tilted his head down so that our foreheads were touching. Breathlessly, he said "It's just Emmett."

"Come on Edward! You don't want to spoil your appetite with Bella!" Even though I knew it wasn't Emmett's fault that Edward had to leave, I glared at the tree he was hanging from outside the window.

"Emmett, I think Bella's angry with you…" I heard Jasper say from outside. Then the room was filled with Emmett's boisterous laugh. "She can be angry all she wants…I'm not letting their horniness stop me from getting a grizzly before they're all gone."

I blushed fiercely as an unexpected growl came from my mouth. Actually it was more like me gritting my teeth and making a "grr" noise…

"She sounds like an angry kitten!" Emmett chortled. It wasn't my fault! Spending all my time with constantly growling vampires was bound to rub off on me…

Edward had his lips pressed tightly together. I could just hear the laughter waiting to burst from him as he said, "I'll be downstairs in a minute," in a quiet murmur that I was sure they could hear. As the laughter died away, Edward gazed into my eyes.

He gave me a quick peck on the lips and I whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed my forehead and turned to walk out the door. My eyes followed him as his bronze hair disappeared from my view. It took less than a second for it to hit me.

He's gone.

The knowledge that he would be back in just a few days didn't suppress the wave of despair that hit me.

_It's just a few days. It's just a few days._

I kept telling myself that, but every time I did, the same thought would follow.

_He's gone._

It had still only been less than a minute, but I could feel the anxiety already swallowing me. I let my head fall into my hands.

_He's coming back. He's coming back. No need to get worked up. He loves you. He doesn't want to leave. He's coming back. _

I took a deep breath which calmed me down a bit. I just needed to remember that he was coming back. There was no reason to break down. _He's coming back. He's only leaving to go hunting, not like befor—_

I halted that train of thought and stared down at my dress.

Now that I was alone, it was time to change out of this ridiculous dress. As I looked in the mirror, I grimaced at my hair which resembled a hay stack of curls. I combed through the tangled curls, and was left with really wavy hair. Hopefully Alice wouldn't try to subject me to any more of her hair torture.

I found my bag and took a shower—allowing the hot water to calm me further. After I was finished with that, I put on a pair of sweats and the first top my fingers touched. I threw my wet hair up and went downstairs. Alice was standing at the bottom, glaring at me.

"Don't look at me that way…I let you dress me yesterday," I reminded her as I slipped my feet into my rain boots. Trying to get off the subject of my attire, I told her I would be at The Newton's sporting goods store for a couple hours.

The girl they had hired came down with the flu, and they needed an extra worker to help out while she was gone. Although the Cullens had plenty of money to keep me from working another day in my life, I still enjoyed using it as an excuse to get out of the house.

Plus, despite the agreement I had made with Edward that allowed him to spend money on me, I liked getting my own paycheck. The fact that I had worked for the money, made it mine. I didn't feel like a gold-digger when I spent my own money. I didn't feel like a sponge...

"Fine," she huffed indignantly. "Wear sweats…but when you get home we're having a real slumber party. That means makeovers, sappy movies—the whole shebang." She was eying me in a way that made me think I didn't have a choice in the matter.

"Ok Alice," I conceded, "I'll see you later." My agreement seemed to improve her mood. Once I was well on my way, I turned on the radio.

_I wonder, how am I supposed to feel when you're not here…_

I turned the dial to another station. The last thing I needed was to remind myself that Edward is gone.

_And that I am alone._

Ah. Stupid depressing thoughts.

As I turned the volume of my truck's stereo all the way up, the harmless song that had been playing ended.

_My hands are searching for you_

_My arms are outstretched towards you_

_I feel you on my fingertips_

_My tongue dances behind my lips for you… _

_Click._

Alright. _No radio then._ At least I was at work now. Maybe I could keep myself busy enough…

The hours passed by pretty quickly, and I soon found myself back at the Cullens'. I braced myself for whatever new torture Alice would force me to endure...and was just praying she wasn't home as I opened the door.

I dropped my keys. _Oh no._

The living room had been transformed into a sea of purples, yellows, greens, and pinks that seemed to be floating mid air. It sort of reminded me of a circus tent. Suddenly Alice was at my side with my keys in her hand. "Hey Bella! What do you think?" she asked cheerfully.

"What is _that_?" I asked, pointing towards the colorful blob of blankets.

She flashed me a grin, exposing all her pearly white teeth. "_That_ my dear Bella..._is the fort._"

---

Once the credits started rolling, I turned to Alice who was smiling at me. "So what did you think of the movie?"

"It was…different." _Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street,_ definitely wasn't one of the movies that came to my mind when I thought of _sappy…_

"Yes, well this is a movie I really enjoy, and I wanted you to see it before Edward gets back."

"Why?" Was there a reason I couldn't watch this movie with Edward here?

"He doesn't really like me subjecting you to these types of love stories. Although I disagree with his reasoning, I do understand his reluctance."

"Well I liked it." Though…I couldn't help seeing some similarities between what happened to Lucy and what almost happened to me in Port Angeles. Even though I would never condone drug use—I was also very sympathetic for the way Lucy handled everything. I knew how much it hurt to lose someone you loved.

"Doesn't it bother _you_ though? I mean...the whole asylum scene?" Even though she couldn't remember her human life, I was surprised that scene didn't bother her.

Alice shrugged. "No, not really. I already knew the state in which the insane were cared for—despite my lack of memories of being there."

We continued to debate various aspects of the movie, like whether Mrs. Lovett ever truly loved Sweeney and which flavor of meat pie would taste the best. She was more knowledgeable than me on which flavors would taste better.

I stretched my arms over my head as a long yawn escaped my lips. I looked up at the purple ceiling of the fort. "Do I have to sleep in here, or do I get to use a bed?" I wouldn't put it passed her to make me sleep in here so she could complete the _sleepover experience._ The reason I wanted to sleep in a bed wasn't because the floor was hard or anything… Actually, it would probably be really comfortable sleeping in here. Alice had piled so many blankets under me, that it was softer than my bed at home.

The reason I wanted to sleep in Edward's bed was because somehow…it made me feel closer to him. Safer.

"No I think this is the end of the sleepover festivities," she smiled warmly. Crawling out the little doorway Alice had made, I started up the stairs. As soon as my teeth were brushed and my face was washed, I got settled into Edward's bed. I didn't need to change my clothes because Alice had already forced me into a purple pajama set—complete with a tank top, bottoms, and a fuzzy robe with matching slippers. She had insisted that the pajamas were _a necessity for the optimum sleepover experience. _

I was lying on my back, staring at the ceiling as the moonlight filled the room. Now that I had a moment to myself, I could try to figure out what my dream last night had meant. What were the most important parts of the dream?

Edward's eyes. _Definitely his eyes. _And…the man in white. _Who was he?_ _Did he have something to do with what happened to Edward? Was this my mind's way of telling me Edward is in danger?_

But in danger of what? In danger of who? I couldn't recall any men in white. The Volturi were the only danger I could think of, and Caius did have snowy white hair…

But the Volturi always wore those jet black robes or gray cloaks…never white.

No. It wasn't Caius. But if not him…then _who?_

I continued to turn the idea of Caius over and over in my head, until I finally drifted off to sleep.

I was sitting there in Edward's lap, his arms wrapped tightly around me. Despite the wine I had been drinking, I was very cold.

So very cold.

I shivered and was worried that Edward would take that as his cue to move away. I looked up into his eyes and gasped. He was gone.

I could no longer feel his arms around me.

The emptiness.

I was sitting alone on the quilt. I looked straight ahead, but saw nothing.

"Edward." No response.

"_Edward!_" Still, nothing.

I crawled towards the edge of the quilt, darting my eyes left and right. I can't explain why, but it felt unsafe to leave the black fabric.

"EDWARD! Where are you!?" I screamed desperately into the darkness.

Silence.

"Edward, _please don't leave me!_" I pleaded, panicked.

Suddenly I heard something rustling in the trees behind me. Startled, I turned toward the noise and yelled, "Who's out there?"

Something bright started emerging from the trees. I couldn't make out his face, but he was wearing all white. He held up his hand, palm facing out toward me.

Clutching the quilt tightly, I screamed "Edward!" as my vision was blinded by a bright white light.

Gasping, I clutched the bed's blankets tightly with my hands.

It was the same dream…but different. _It was astonishingly worse._

This time Edward had left me.

I felt the bitterness fill my lungs with every shallow breath I took.

He was gone.

I was alone.

_I am alone._

Desperate to expel those thoughts, I shook my head vigorously. I knew the reason Edward had disappeared from my dream. He disappeared because my subconscious knew the real Edward wasn't lying beside me… My subconscious knew he was gone. My screwed up brain just decided to use that information to make my life worse.

Still no closer to any answers, I laid there motionlessly on the bed as my breathing slowed. The shock of the nightmare had me fully alert, and made it impossible for me to sleep in. It was just as well. I was supposed to work at the Newton's today too. Plus with the direction my nightmares were heading…I think I preferred staying awake. Determined to be useful today and not a lump of depression and self-pity, I hopped out of Edward's bed.

I looked around the room for my bag, but couldn't find it. It had to be here somewhere…

Just as I was about to check under the bed, I noticed Alice standing in the doorway. She was wearing that devious grin that I knew all too well. "Come on Alice, I just want to wear some sweats," I whined.

Wasn't it enough that I had let her dress me last night?

I continued to search for my bag. _Where was it?_ I looked back up and Alice was smiling sheepishly. "Alice, you didn't." She stole my clothes.

Her face fell as her shoulders slumped and her lower lip pushed out into her signature pout. "But you promised..." Her expression was heartbreaking.

_Why am I such a pushover?_

I groaned as I grabbed the outfit she was holding in her hands. "What would you like for breakfast?" She was now grinning. At least one of us was happy…

"Err…Alice I—" She held up her hand to silence me.

"Save it Bella. We are having a little sister-to-sister breakfast. Besides, you can't tell me you aren't hungry because I can already see you sneaking off to eat at Charlie's before work." She eyed me with a look of disapproval. She was right though, that sounded like something I would do. "I'll let you get changed."

I sighed as she left the room, shutting the door behind her. I looked down at the clothes she had left me. I suppose it could be worse…

I took a shower and got dressed. After everything seemed to be in place, I went to survey the damage. She had given me a pair of blue skinny jeans, a white blouse with long sleeves that hung off the shoulder, and a pair of furry white boots to match. All in all, the outfit wasn't that bad. At least…as far as Alice's crazy wardrobe ideas went.

Once my hair was sufficiently dry, I descended the stairs and my nose was assaulted with several delicious aromas. I walked into the kitchen to find Alice, wearing a chef's hat as she cooked something in a frying pan. "Take a seat, breakfast will be ready shortly," she said.

Once the table was in my line of sight, I gasped. The entire table was covered in different breakfast dishes. There were crepes, fresh fruit, pancakes, waffles, French toast, eggs…pretty much every type of breakfast food you could think of.

"You don't expect me to be able to eat all of this, do you?" I asked incredulously. There was no way I could consume one full dish, let alone seven. She walked into the room, carrying a plate of sausage and bacon in one hand, and a pitcher of orange juice in the other.

"No Bella, I know your stomach has its limits." She poured some orange juice in a glass and placed it next to the empty plate I assumed was for me.

"Then why did you make all this food? Isn't it just going to go to waste if I don't eat it?" Sure they had enough money to make seven or eight course meals and then just throw them away, but that doesn't mean they needed to. "You know, you could've just asked me what I wanted…"

She shrugged. "It gave me an excuse to perfect my cooking skills. This all tastes the same to me, so I'm depending on your taste buds to let me know how I'm progressing."

"Why do you need to know how to cook?" My wedding day is approaching pretty fast. There won't be a need for Alice to cook once I've been changed…

"I assume you would like your wedding dinner to be edible?" she asked, raising her little eyebrow expectantly. Oh. So she was doing this for my wedding.

She sat down in the seat to my right. "Ok…but I still don't think you should've wasted all this food…" I took my seat, trying to decide what to choose. Finally, I loaded my plate with a crepe and some fresh fruit. The crepe was already packed with whipped cream and other various items, so using my fork, I cut off a piece and popped it into my mouth.

"So what do you think?" Alice chirped excitedly.

Mmm… The taste was amazing. I could clearly identify the fruit within it as strawberries, but there was also some chocolate-like substance that I didn't recognize. "It is amazing Alice. I think if you make the wedding dinner, everyone is going to leave a size bigger from having too many seconds." I smiled and she grinned.

"Thanks Bella. Now don't worry about the extra food…I'm sure Charlie would like it if I brought him the leftovers. Just eat what you want."

"That's a great idea Alice! Charlie will love you even more than he already does." I don't know whether it was the amazing food, Alice's infectious good attitude, or the idea of making Charlie happy, but I wasn't feeling as depressed as I thought I would be.

Alice tapped her fingers together in a very Montgomery Burns sort of way as she said, "Yes, and he will be putty in my hands." Her smile was so devious, that I couldn't resist laughing.

After a couple of minutes I said, "He's been putty in your hands since the day he first saw you." We continued to laugh for a little while, until we fell into a conversation about various wedding details. I didn't usually like dealing with the wedding decisions—I always got too stressed out and knew Alice would love having the free reign. But today, I felt oddly cheery and ready to tackle any problem.

Once my stomach had reached full capacity, I got up to go to work. I told Alice that after I got off my shift, I was planning on stopping by my house to prepare Charlie's dinner for tonight. She didn't look very pleased, but all she said was "Ok, see you later Bella," as I walked out the door.

---

It was getting pretty close to the end of my shift and for some reason...I was just bouncing with anticipation. I found myself checking the clock every few minutes. _What was I in such a hurry for?_ _It's not like there's anyone waiting for me…_

Deciding that a diversion from that last thought was necessary, I started to focus on organizing some of the camping equipment. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mike approaching me. "My mom said you can leave now if you want," he said, smiling. It was times like these that I remembered why I liked Mike.

I grinned in response. "Ok, thanks." Once I was sure I had everything, I walked out the door to my truck. I dropped my keys and as I bent down to pick them up, my eyes met a pair of boots. I stood back up to see Mike leaning against the side of my truck. The smile was gone—in its place was a suggestive smirk. _Why today?_

"Did you forget something?" I asked, although I already had a pretty good guess what he wanted.

"Yes actually…I did." He stopped, standing there quietly.

"Well what is it?" Best to just get this over with…

"Do you want to go out tonight? Like to a dinner and a movie?" His smirk was playful.

_Was he serious?_

He was just standing there...patiently awaiting my answer.

He was serious.

"I'm actually busy tonight Mike…"

_Do I have something written on my forehead like "Hello, my name is Bella. I am engaged, but feel free to flirt or ask me out anyway."_

_What was with these guys? Either they're really dense, or they see my wedding ring as a challenge._

"Ok, what about tomorrow night?" I admit I had been trying to let him down easy with the "I'm busy" response, but he didn't seem to want to buy it.

"I really don't think that would be a good idea…" He cut me off.

"What? Cullen won't let you spend the night with someone other than himself?" His was still smirking, but it was no longer in a playful manner.

"Actually, Edward is out of town for the next few days." I was getting really tired of people acting like Edward owned me. "But even if he—"

He interrupted again, "If Cullen isn't here, then what's the problem?"

"First of all, his name is Edward. Second, the _problem_ is that I am engaged, Mike. My wedding is weeks away. I can't just go off on a date with you…" I didn't like being so blunt, but he was really getting on my nerves.

"You're fucking cruel," he snapped. Whoa..._did I just hear him correctly?_

"Wh-what?"

"Don't pretend to be fucking dumb. You heard me. What the hell is your problem Bella?" He barked, glaring at me. I had never seen him so angry…

"What's _my_ problem? _I'm not the one going around hitting on engaged women,_" I snapped. If he was going to act like this, then I wasn't going to try to spare his feelings. It was about time he got the hint anyway.

Suddenly, he slammed his fist on the side of my truck. I jumped back as he glared at me. My heart was beating so hard, that the only thing I could hear was its thumping.

_Thump. Thump. _

_Do I still have that pepper spray?_

_Thump. Thump._

_His legs are slightly parted. My foot would have easy access if he came towards me. _

_Thump. Thump._

Without another word, he stormed off the opposite direction of the store. Shocked from what had just happened, I unlocked my truck door and hopped in. Then I clicked the locks. _At least this is one person I can keep out with a locked door._

I turned on the ignition and barely noticed the rain as I drove to my house. _What was up with Mike? I mean he was always asking me out, but he never got angry like that…_

Charlie's police cruiser was gone, so I pulled into the driveway. I found the key, unlocked and opened the door. As I was about to cross the threshold, I saw something shift in the corner of my eye. I stopped and backed out of the doorway. Pulling my fingers into a tight fist around the key, I looked around. Everything seemed to be the same as it had been when I pulled in.

I must be imagining things…

Shutting and locking the door behind me, I made my way to the kitchen and started to prepare some spaghetti for Charlie to heat up when he got home. I finished his dinner and was just cleaning up, when I jumped at the sound of a knock at the door.

_Like I need to be afraid of someone who needs to use a door…_

After wiping off my hands, I answered the door. There was a tall thin man in a tan uniform. He had a clip board in his hands. "Are you Miss Bella Swan?" I nodded and then he continued, "I have a flower delivery for you."

Flowers? Who would be sending me flowers?

I sighed as the realization hit me. Who would send me flowers? _Edward of course._

The man handed me the clipboard. After I signed my name, he took it and went to his truck. I watched as he came back with a large bouquet of white flowers.

That's odd. I'm pretty sure Edward knew I liked Roses…oh well. Maybe he was just trying to surprise me. These white ones were really pretty and I should feel lucky that he went through the trouble.

"Where can I set these?" the man asked, seeming to struggle with the weight of the bouquet—it was unusually big. I pointed to the table with a smile. He set the bouquet down and was about to leave when I asked, "What are these called?"

He turned around in the doorway and pulled a slip out of his pocket. "Blackberry Brambles," he read. I said thanks as he walked out the door and drove away. After shutting and locking the door, I went over to the table to look at the flowers. There was a tiny folded piece of paper sticking out in the middle of the flowers. I unfolded it and read the words.

_Soon, you will belong to me. _

Of all the things he could've written in the card… Didn't he already know that I belonged to him? I guess he wouldn't truly believe it until it became official. "_Soon,_" it said. The wedding was getting pretty close. After I belong to him legally, we could go on our honeymoon and then I could belong to him physically as well.

I inhaled deeply as I plunged my nose into the flowers.

I couldn't remember ever seeing this kind of flower before, so I wasn't really sure how they should smell… But these definitely smelled off.

I took another whiff, trying to decipher the strange odor. I sucked in another puff of air as I sneezed. My eyes had started to water so I swiped my hand under my eyes, hoping to stop the tearing. As I stepped back, I started to sway a little so I clutched the chair with my other hand.

I sneezed again, but this time the convulsion made me fall forward—landing on my hands and knees. I heard the chair I had been clutching hit the ground, along with the bouquet—scattering white flowers across the kitchen floor. I tried to look around, but I was so dizzy and my vision was so clouded, that I couldn't concentrate on any object.

There was something wrong with me. The weird smell…

_Those flowers weren't from Edward._

_There was something in those flowers._

I stuck my hand in my pocket—searching for the tiny silver cell phone that Edward had given me. I knew something was happening to me and I needed to call Alice so she could help.

My pocket was empty. _It must've fallen out when I fell._

Sticking my hands out in front of me, I felt around the now flower covered floor, in the hopes of finding my tiny silver salvation. Something small and cold had made contact with my right hand. I grasped the object tightly, realizing it was the cell phone. I blinked my eyes a few times, trying to dispel whatever was clouding my vision.

I flipped the phone open and felt around the keys. She was on my speed dial…all I had to do was find the right number. Hell if I found Edward, he could call Alice for me.

I sneezed again, but this convulsion was even rougher than the last. It made the phone fly out of my hands and skid across the floor. I collapsed onto my stomach as the sneezing and the convulsions grew. My body was starting to feel numb.

_I need to get that phone. I need to call for help. Come on Bella…MOVE!_

Using just my arms because my legs were already so numb that they would no longer function, I crawled across the floor. As I got closer to the tiny silver blur, my hands made contact with something else. It took all my strength to lift my head, which now seemed to weigh a ton. I gasped as I realized who it was.

_It was the man from my dream. The man with the white light._

His features were all blurred in my clouded eyes—the bright white light was the only thing I could see. I yelped "Edward," as I felt the numbness plunge me into darkness.

**A/N: WHEW! Do you have goosebumps? I know I do. **

**OMG! WHO IS THE MAN IN WHITE!? ARG I'LL DIE IF I DON'T FIND OUT! Oh wait. I already know. I've known since I started writing this fanfic. =p**

**Haha. Don't worry. His identity will be revealed in either the next chapter, or the one after. I haven't decided yet…it's all based on where I'm going to end the next chapter. **

**Oh and if you haven't noticed, I've started to post little updates on my profile. I'm not saying I will be doing this every time a chapter takes a bit longer to write, just that you could always check there.**

**Also, while you're waiting for the next chapter, check out my other fanfic: **_**Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have.**_

**I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter…show me some love and inspire me to write more with a review.**

**Twilight and all its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**


	6. Cryptic Messages

**A/N: I would like to apologize for my update tardiness. I've been really irritated with myself for taking so long. I know it's because I'm trying to do too many things at once...**

***sigh***

**This chapter is all EPOV and starts during Edward and Bella's goodbye. I promised a chapter for when Edward was hunting…and here it is.**

**EPOV**

I gazed into Bella's eyes for what would be the last time before I returned from my hunting trip. Looking into those pools of chocolate made me contemplate starving myself even further. Alas, as determined as I might be to stretch my limited amounts of control, I could not continue putting off this trip.

For Bella. For her safety.

Even right now, in such a sweet moment…Bella is in danger.

I am far too aware of her little warm body pressed against me. Far too aware of the luscious blood flowing through her veins. Far too aware of her pumping heart. The heart she had given me.

The monster's voice had grown louder, though still not loud enough to dominate. The voice justified draining Bella's blood with the fact that her heart belonged to me. The voice believed that possessing her heart, gave me the right to do whatever I wish. The voice even tried to persuade me with Bella's wishes.

_You want to drink her blood and she wants to be a vampire. Why not grant both wishes? Consume her blood, leaving just enough for the transformation. Allow your venom to sear her veins… You will get to taste her sweet nectar and she will get to become one of us. Then you can spend eternity loving her. Loving her any and every way you please. Loving her without fear. A win-win._

Thoroughly disgusted with this rationalization for such a demonic act, I quickly gave Bella a peck on the lips. Her soft warm lips did comfort me, but unfortunately, they also excited me. She whispered "I love you." The way she was looking into my eyes made the monster cower away…his voice fading ever so slightly. When Bella looked at me this way, I found it exceedingly simple to deny my vampiric instincts. Her love was far more delicious than any other part of her. Even her blood.

"I love you too," I proclaimed. I was unhappy that I could not stay longer to reinforce that statement. Those words seemed too simple. Too common. Too small. To explain the complexity of my feelings for her required far more than that. She deserved far more than that.

Alas, Jasper and Emmett's thoughts were growing more agitated by the second.

_Maybe I should just run up there and drag him out. _Emmett thought.

Jasper was absorbing the emotions coming from my bedroom. _Edward, I sense your reluctance to leave her. But you know hunting is something that is vital to her safety. I also think I should point out the level of love Bella is feeling right now, as well as your own feelings. Don't worry…in a couple days you two will be together again. _

I searched his mind for the emotions he was sensing from Bella. It always slightly bothered me that Jasper and Alice's abilities worked on Bella when mine did not. Of course I couldn't be too irritated, for Bella preferred the privacy. Still…it would be nice to know what she is feeling sometimes. Her expressive eyes reveal so much truth, but there is also so much she keeps hidden from me.

The emotions that Jasper felt dominated Bella were undying love and overwhelming sadness. It made my cold heart clench a little to feel the sadness Bella was feeling, through Jasper. I tilted my head down, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

Unable to prolong our time together, I stood and walked out the door. I could feel Bella's eyes boring into the back of my head as I left the room. As I left her.

When I reached the stairs, I almost doubled over in the intensity of the emotions coming from Jasper. I searched the room until I found him, scrunched in a similar position. Concerned, I stared into his eyes, trying to decipher what was wrong. But the emotion had cleared Jasper's head of every other thought. It took him a moment to muster the strength to mutter, "It isn't me."

His eyes were full of sadness and he was thinking something else, but I was no longer listening. I knew who was feeling that agonizing pain. Bella.

Swiftly, I turned to race back to my bedroom, but was met with Alice who blocked my way down the hall. "Get out of my way Alice," I growled. I was not beyond using force to get passed her. She didn't move. Instead, she rested one hand on my right shoulder.

"She's going to be ok Edward."

"How can you say that? You don't know what I just felt. What _she_ is feeling." Again I attempted to slide passed her. Of course, she knew my move before I did so she was ready. From the moment I had realized that debilitating pain was Bella's, I had driven everyone's thoughts from my head. Now that Alice was refusing to step aside, I focused on her thoughts. She could use her ability to see my next move. Two could play at that game.

_Edward, listen to me. You can't go back up there. It'll only make it worse. _

"_Worse? How could ANYTHING be worse than what I just felt?" _The pain I had felt…was beyond measure. I could not think of a comparison to sufficiently describe the way it felt. The feel of the burn of my throat whenever Bella's blood had been exposed… The feeling that resembled what having a white hot poker shoved down your throat would feel like… _Paled _in comparison.

The sourness, the bitterness, the heartbreaking pain, the choking and suffocating feeling I got despite the fact that I did not even need to breathe…stained my throat as well as my mind. It was like her pain contained its own venom that was specifically lethal to me—rotting away my insides. My insides which did not serve any function as it would in a human, were being burned by this acidic pain.

_There isn't anything you can do. As much as it pains me to tell you this, she will probably always feel this way when you leave. It is inevitable. _

I looked into her eyes and was assaulted with a memory…

Alice had spent the night at Charlie's with Bella. Before Volterra. Before Bella and I were reunited.

The image of Bella in her mind was a horrifying sight. Her cheeks no longer held the slight rose color of her blushes—they were sullen. Even her fragrance was off… It still smelled enticing through Alice's memory, but its potency seemed to have faded—a slight sourness added to it. Bella's hair no longer exuded its natural shine—it was dull and almost as lifeless as her eyes. Her eyes no longer held the love I had just seen moments ago—they were dark, empty and lifeless. The image reminded me of Bella's dream and the way she had panicked when my eyes were empty. Was this how I had looked to her?

I shook as Alice's mind wandered back to her conversation with Charlie. The word _catatonic _had been thrown around.

Alice's tiny arms wrapped around me. I wanted nothing more than to forcefully fling her from my body, but I knew it was not her fault. All of this—_everything_—was my fault.

_I'm sorry Edward. I shouldn't have let those thoughts through._

I hugged her back, squeezing tightly. I didn't blame Alice.

_Don't worry. Bella is going to be ok. The initial separation is the worst part for her. She will gradually calm down. Just ask Jasper. _

She released me as I turned to Jasper. He was leaning against the wall and although his expression was still slightly twisted from Bella's pain [and most likely my own], he confirmed Alice's thoughts.

_Although her pain has not subsided, _he thought, _she has calmed a bit. _

_Edward…_

I brought my gaze back to Alice as she thought my name.

_Bella is going to take a shower, but she will be down here soon… You should leave now. _

I grimaced and nodded. More than anything, I wanted to just sprint up the stairs and join her. Of course, that was an impossible desire. Everything about Bella and I seemed impossible.

Moving slowly—for a vampire anyway—I followed Jasper out the door to find Emmett sitting in the back seat of my Volvo with a sad expression. Jasper climbed into the passenger side as I sank into the driver's seat and started the car. I gazed up at the white house when a delicate sigh filled my ears.

The sound of running water faded as I sped away from our house. Away from my room. Away from my sighing angel.

---

It had been several hours since our departure. Several hours since I had seen her face. Several hours since I had inhaled the exquisite floral flavor of her blood. Several hours since I had watched that delicious red invade her creamy cheeks.

Jasper sighed. _I know it is hard for you, but could you try not wallowing in your sadness for the next few days? You're bumming me out…_

Tearing my gaze from the road that I had more or less forgotten was there, I attempted to smile at Jasper. My face did move, but not in the way I had intended.

_Good god Edward. You look like you just tasted something really bad… You didn't break down and bite a dog, did you? He must be really thirsty to stoop that low… _Emmett thought.

Glaring into the rearview mirror, I jerked the steering wheel to the right. Emmett compensated for the movement easily, foiling my plans of smacking his body against the door. Although with Emmett's weight and strength, maybe it was a good thing it didn't work.

"Damn…someone's cranky. You need to chill," Emmett said as he resumed his position lying back against the seat with his arms behind his head. At that point, Jasper leaned forward and turned on the radio.

_Morning came and I was dead _

_Before I left for school_

Just like every other day.

_We'll paint the smiled onto our heads_

_And keep away from the animals_

Yes, we keep away from the animals as much as possible. Wouldn't want to arouse suspicion with a deteriorating amount of wildlife.

_And you know it hurts like hell_

_So when you reach the top_

_Just throw yourself off_

My mouth snapped shut audibly at those words. They were painfully reminiscent to Bella's close encounter with death when she jumped off a cliff. The unyielding guilt filled my body as I recalled the reason she had risked doing such a dangerous stunt.

_Me._

_To hear __**my **__voice._

Not only had I crippled her emotionally when I left her and told her that I didn't love her—it is hard to even think I could say those words—but I had almost cost her the very thing I was trying to protect. _Her life._

How am I supposed to protect her, when I am her biggest risk?

Jasper could sense my feelings of guilt and despair, so he turned the radio off. _Sorry, _was all he thought. I felt terrible for subjecting Jasper and Emmett to my despair—making even the radio a taboo. The truth was, I favored music enough to endure the despair laced thoughts and feelings of sadness. Jasper shook his head as I turned the radio back on—determined not to make this situation any worse for either of my brothers.

_We don't need music that bad…_

I smiled at him—this time managing to create a somewhat happy expression. He continued to shake his head as he turned toward the window to admire the forest. I could just barely see a man at its edge—using the foliage as a restroom.

_If I had known the next rest stop was so far away, I would've gone at my mother-in-law's house. Scratch that. This is better than staying any longer at that frigid old cow's house. _

I laughed as an image of a giant cow wearing panty hose and a bonnet popped into the man's head. Emmett and Jasper each gave me a puzzled look.

_First anger and now this? The dude really is losing his mind… _Emmett thought. He was a little worried, but pleased that I had switched from violence to random fits of laughter. Technically not random, but for someone who cannot read minds, I suppose it was.

Now that we were far enough away from the man so that his thoughts were no longer audible, I resumed thinking about the one thing I was always thinking about. Bella.

Despite the fact that running would have been faster and would've brought me back to Bella sooner, we had taken the Volvo. It would look suspicious if Jasper, Emmett and I had gone away for the next few days and had not taken a vehicle. Although Alice did not see Charlie coming to check on Bella at our house, that did not eliminate the possibility. Her visions are subjective. Things change. My thoughts drifted back to what the monster inside me had said.

_You want to drink her blood and she wants to be a vampire. Why not grant both wishes? _

The monster is just proof of what could happen. What might still happen. Sure, I had made it this time. I had left Bella to go hunting before anything could happen. Before anything did happen. Still, this victory was hollow. Hollow because there would always be a next time. Another opportunity in which the monster could take over and destroy my Bella.

The opportunities increased the longer I put off leaving her. Leaving her side was killing both of us, but staying with her could kill her. At least…until she stops breathing.

As part of Bella's agreement to marry me, I had also agreed to change her. Although this was _set in stone_, that did not mean I was not constantly searching for some way to prolong her life. I was rather hoping the wedding might distract her a bit, but of course then the honeymoon would come. This was the time in which she had chosen for her transformation. I yearned for this, but I also shuddered at the thought.

The thought that I would be taking her life away. The thought that at any moment, I might lose control and drink her blood rather than spread my venom. Carlisle would be a safer plan. He has so much practice changing people without losing control, and has become more or less immune to blood.

But that was not part of the deal Bella and I had made. The entire agreement was based on the fact that I was going to be the one to change her. She never really explained why she desired this and although I was fearful of her safety, I wanted to be the one to change her as well.

It wasn't very rational, but then _nothing in our relationship has ever been rational. _

I wanted to possess her…_in every way_. Something about _my venom_ running through _her veins_ bound her to me. My venom would create an unbreakable bond—like the connection Emmett, Esme, Rosalie and I felt toward Carlisle. The wedding would make us husband and wife, binding us together. My venom would seal her fate, binding her to me for eternity.

That thought was one of the only things keeping me from dishonoring our deal.

---

It was dark when I pulled into the parking lot of the tiny hotel. It was one we used from time to time, when we went on these hunting trips. Its seclusion and plentiful wildlife was very convenient. As we exited my Volvo, the young bellhop was already walking toward us.

_Come on and smile Tommy. Kiss the Cullens' asses and you'll be able to afford that XBOX 360. _

"Mr. Cullen, Mr. Hale, Mr. Cullen," he smiled as he nodded to each of us and handed me three keys. I divvied out the keys as Jasper handed Tommy a wad of cash that was enough to buy him two XBOX 360's. He tried not to eye the money as he slipped it in his pocket.

"Thank you sir," he grinned.

We started to walk to our usual room—Room 9—when the bellhop appeared at my side. "Mr. Cullen I almost forgot… Your guest has arrived."

My eyebrows rose. "Guest?" What guest?

"Yes Mr. Cullen. Don't worry, I let her in your room to wait for you till you arrived." I furrowed my brows as I read the boy's mind—hoping to shed some light on the identity of my "guest". Unfortunately, his mind was now entirely preoccupied with what games he planned to buy to accompany his new game system. With confused glances from Emmett and Jasper, I continued walking to our hotel room. Who could possibly be waiting in there?

_Bella?_

My cold heart sang at the idea, but I was also well aware of how dangerous such a notion would be. I was also aware that even if Bella could somehow find the location of a hotel in which she did not know the name or address, it would be impossible for her to arrive before us. In a hurry, her truck could still barely push 50 mph. _A problem I plan to rectify once I get a chance to disable her truck. _

I sighed as my momentary excitement and fear disappeared. I could feel Jasper's eyes boring into the back of my head. His thoughts were of my constant mood swings. Often, I found myself wishing he did not have the ability to know how I am feeling. I preferred to experience such emotions more privately... Though I realize I don't have any room to complain about him infringing upon _my privacy_, when I was constantly hearing his private thoughts. That was the precise reason why I had never voiced such complaints.

As we rounded the corner of the hotel and onto the path to the secluded Room 9, the sound of pumping blood echoed in my ears. I glanced at Jasper and Emmett. Jasper's expression was one of caution, whereas Emmett's was of disappointment. Apparently he was hoping the mysterious guest was one of our kind so that he could throw a couple punches. We stopped at the door.

_Do you hear that? _Emmett thought.

Jasper was analyzing the human's emotional state. _Whoever is in there is experiencing fear and boredom. Not a typical combination…_

_I hope this perv isn't too fugly. _

My brows knit together as I listened to the thoughts of the unknown intruder. Slowly, I unlocked the door and opened it.

_It's show time. _The woman thought.

She was sprawled out across the bed in a very skimpy outfit that scarcely hid her private areas. Her skin was sagging in some areas, and the smell of smoke was drifting off her. The dull blonde color of her hair was clearly the product of a cheap dye job. My eyes widened in shock as I realized what the woman was.

A hooker.

The sound of Emmett's boisterous laugh filled the hotel room. The woman finally noticed Jasper and Emmett standing behind me.

"Oh there's three of you…"_ Three strapping young boys. Mmm! _"…that's going to cost you extra," the woman croaked. _Though I may give you a discount, handsome. These have to be the hottest clients I've ever had. Hmm…that must mean they're into some really crazy shit. I hope they don't mind that I decided to get the Brazilian wax the other day…_

Her mind filled with images that made me choke on the air. I clenched my eyes tightly—hoping to distinguish the horrifying images coming from that woman's head. It was useless. I could still see every thing. _Every excruciating detail._ Being stabbed in the eye would be far more pleasant than enduring this.

Sensing my current predicament, Jasper sidestepped passed me and spoke directly to the woman. "I am sorry ma'am, but your services were not requested by us."

The woman furrowed her pencil drawn eyebrows as she pulled a slip of paper out of her bag. _Oh shit. This is for Room 6. I knew I should've worn my glasses. But it makes me look old… One of these days I'm going to get contacts._ "Oh I'm so sorry! I must be in the wrong room." She stood up, adjusting her skirt and covering up her inappropriate outfit with a long coat.

At least she had some integrity.

Emmett walked over to Jasper to allow the woman to leave. I stared at the open door, just waiting for the jibes to come.

"Why did you send her away?" Emmett asked.

I tried to read his mind to determine why he would ask that, but he was concentrating on the _Family Guy _theme song. _It seems today, that all you see…Is violence in movies, and sex on T.V. But where are those good old fashioned values…On which we used to rely!?_

He usually sang that song when he was trying to prevent me from knowing the punch line to one of his jokes. I was not in the mood for one of his jokes. "Excuse me?"

"Why don't you just use the hooker? I mean that way you can practice having sex with her before trying with Bella." His chuckling stopped when my fist collided with his face. He doubled backwards from the blow, rubbing his face with his hand. I started to walk forward—determined to literally pound that thought out of his head—when Jasper stood in front of me. A growl rippled from my throat.

"Come on Edward. You know Emmett was joking. You also know that most of his jokes are not tasteful," he spoke calmly and I felt that calm spread over me. It irritated me to no end that Jasper had the ability to affect my own feelings. The lack of control was infuriating. _Maybe I wanted someone to hit. _

Feeling my irritation, he smiled. "I think we had better go hunting before you rip Emmett's head off."

"He wishes he was tough enough to handle this," Emmett grinned as he flexed his muscles. I sighed, walking into the living room and to the sliding glass doors. After shutting the front door, Jasper appeared behind me. Emmett appeared a second later with a huge grin on his face.

"Smell that? That smells a hell of a lot better than any picnic basket…" Emmett said as he ran out the door, following the trail. Jasper looked from me to Emmett. I closed my eyes and listened to all the thoughts buzzing in my head—ensuring that no humans would be in the vicinity of our hunting. Although humans did not usually hike so far out, there were the occasional males that did so to prove their manliness. Imagine the girlish screeches that would overcome them if they were to run into one of _us_.

I imagined Mike Newton trying to impress Bella with such a stunt. Then I imagined how he would fair against one of our kind. I chuckled as I imagined the bright wet spot that would become prominent on his pants if that did occur. Jasper's eyebrow rose at my laughter.

_Are you ok?_ He thought. He was rather doubtful of my mental stability.

I nodded as I confirmed the absence of humans in the forest. I flew through the door, running as fast as my legs would take me—which was pretty damn fast—and imagined meeting Mike Newton the whole way, with a big grin on my face.

---

I found I had a new bounce in my step as I made my way back to the sliding glass doors to our hotel room. Now that I was filled with animal blood, I felt unbelievably better. The monster's thoughts were now just a mere whisper—like a candle that has been burned almost to the end of its wick.

Emmett skipped happily behind me—his clothes torn to shreds. He always felt the need to wrestle with his food. Even without the ability to read his mind, I could tell the reason he did that was to obtain a sort of revenge against the grizzly bear who had almost killed him when he was still human.

Jasper flitted to Emmett's side with a sort of grimacing smile. It was harder for him to drink animal blood than it was for Emmett and me. He had always satiated his thirst for human blood almost immediately before joining our family. Jasper sighed as he felt the pity I was feeling towards him. I grinned, shrugging my shoulders. It wasn't my fault he could feel my emotions.

As we entered the room and shut the door, Emmett shed his torn shirt. Jasper quickly shut the curtains—he was always on alert for maintaining our secret. Just like any good soldier.

"Yogi sure did put up a fight at the end, but I'm no Ranger Smith. He didn't get off with a little warning," Emmett grinned, wiping his blood covered mouth off on the back of his hand. It was a good thing our room was so far away from the rest of the hotel… Emmett's appearance would have definitely turned a few heads. And not in a good way.

"Actually Emmett, Yogi Bear was a black bear…not a grizzly bear," Jasper said as he shrugged out of his shirt and picked up one of the new shirts we had placed in here before we arrived.

"Everyone knows Yellowstone is famous for their grizzly bears…" Emmett pointed out as he slipped out of his pants. Jasper and I stared at the Yogi Bear boxers that Emmett had just revealed. We sort of gawked at them, before doubling over in laughter. _That explains the Yogi Bear references._

"What the hell are you fairies laughing at!?" Emmett fumed. His irritation just made us laugh even harder. _Like anyone would find him intimidating while he was wearing those._

"Why are you wearing those?" I managed to ask in between chuckles.

"What? I like Yogi Bear…" Emmett frowned, looking down at his purple boxers. I felt kind of bad for Emmett, so I decided to redirect the conversation.

"Yellowstone is also famous for Black Bears. But that does not matter because Yogi Bear lives in Jellystone Park…not Yellowstone," I smirked. Sure I felt bad for his embarrassment, but not enough to fully redirect the conversation. I was still irritated with how he had acted earlier. _Why don't you just use the hooker? I mean that way you can practice having sex with her before trying with Bella. _I had the urge to hit him again.

Emmett scowled at me. "Well where he's from doesn't matter…because Yogi was smarter than the average bear. Grizzlies are also typically smarter than most bears."

I grinned at his annoyance. "He was only supposedly smarter than the average bear. There were plenty of episodes that proved he was clearly not very intelligent."

Emmett shrugged as he pulled on a new pair of jeans. "So that just means that other bears are even dumber." I pulled off my shirt and grabbed a new black one. I was glad that my jeans had not been damaged because I did not want to suffer the ridicule Emmett had just suffered.

Jasper had finally stopped laughing so that he could contribute to the conversation. "Both species have been found walking on their hind legs," Jasper added.

Emmett smirked. "Grizzlies tend to do it more regularly." The debate about what type of bear Yogi was abruptly ended when Jasper removed his pants. He was wearing white boxers covered in big red hearts.

"Shut up. Alice made me wear these," Jasper glared. We continued laughing for a while before he finally used his ability to eliminate our laughter.

"Cheater," Emmett frowned. Jasper grinned as he pulled on a new pair of jeans. _Yes, I was definitely grateful I had not needed to change my pants. _

---

It was now daytime which made staying in our room a necessity. Of all the times in which we had come to this hotel, we had always arrived and left after dark. We found that when there were large sums of money involved, people rarely asked questions. There was one instance in which one of the hotel's employees did question that habit of ours, but he quickly wrote it off. He decided that we must be partying college students who are just too hung over in the morning to leave their room.

With hours upon hours of isolation, we had made a point of ensuring the hotel room was significantly stocked. There was a chess set which seemed to only see use when Alice and I went hunting, and an array of game systems accompanied with Emmett's favorite games. There was also a large book case stocked with my favorites, and a state of the art computer.

The hotel as a whole was small, but not due to a lack of funds. In actuality, the hotel had the money to expand to the size of a hotel with five hundred rooms…or more. That was why we enjoyed staying here. We appreciated the luxuries of the room, but also the seclusion.

Jasper and Emmett were playing _Adventure Island 2._ It was an older game that we all enjoyed, though it was almost completely absent from most stores like GameStop. I could remember how cheery Emmett was when he finally found an underground version of the game for the Nintendo Wii. It had irritated him when he found _Adventure Island_ on the Wii, but not the superior sequel to the game.

"The dinosaurs make all the difference…" he had said. "Who wants to play a stupid game with just a little island boy throwing hatchets? I want fire damn it." For a little under a year, he had made locating _Adventure Island 2_ for Wii, his life's mission. Although Rosalie had pointed out that he could just play it on the old Nintendo, he was still determined. "Nintendo is a senior citizen. Besides, if they can make _Adventure Island _for Wii, them I'm damn sure they can make the second one for it too."

Glancing at the computer, I finally had an idea. I sat in the computer chair and brought the computer out of its sleep mode. As I accessed the internet, I wondered whether Bella would check her email. Even though I could not be with Bella, I could still send her an email. It would make me feel better to have her know how much I miss her, and I'm sure it would also improve her mood. I cringed at the memory of the pain she had felt when I left.

The window was finally loaded and I was able to type in my username for my yahoo email account. I shook my head as I typed in _Mr. Fangs_. Emmett had typed that in as part of a joke when I had first registered for the email account. It gave me an idea for some payback… Maybe I should change Emmett's username to _Mrs. Yogi Bear_. I smiled as I thought of the fight that would incite. The feeding had improved my mood, but had not lessened my annoyance with Emmett.

I signed in, and was happy to note that the computer in my bedroom was still signed into yahoo messenger. I only used my _Mr. Fangs_ email account when I was away. Clicking on _Edward Cullen_, I began to type my greeting.

_Hello Bella. _

I waited for a reply, but was disappointed when no response appeared. _She must still be sleeping_, I thought. Now the question is…do I spill my thoughts of love and devotion now and hope she reads it when she awakes? Or do I wait till she responds so that I might be able to view her reactions?

A sudden thought occurred to me. She wasn't one to pry—at least not with my computer. Maybe my message would go unchecked? Unless I sent it to her email account…which also appeared to be online.

That is a little odd. Bella did not usually leave her computer on in her bedroom, let alone signed into messenger. Could she be expecting my message?

Immediately, I felt guilty. Had she been to her house—checking her email in the hopes that I might send her a message? If that was the case, then I felt unbelievably careless. How could I have made her wait so long?

I clicked _Bella Swan_ and began typing in the window that appeared.

_Hello Miss Swan. _I wasn't exactly sure why I kept referring to her as Miss Swan…I suppose I just wanted to emphasize the fact that soon her name would no longer be Miss Swan, but _Miss Cullen_.

I doubt that Charlie would go snooping on her computer, but I was not going to take any chances. I grimaced at my username—knowing that if he were to see it, that he would definitely get the wrong idea.

_Please respond when you get this…no matter what time it is. I assure you that I will be checking frequently for a response._

_Pleasant dreams,_

_-Edward_

Waiting for a response seemed like a better idea. I wouldn't want to make matters any worse with Charlie. He was not too keen upon Bella marrying at such a young age…

With one last glance at the screen, I made my way over to sit in one of the chairs beside the couch Emmett and Jasper were occupying.

_Where is that damn dinosaur egg? I swear I should've come across it by now…_ Emmett thought.

_Looks like my turn will be even sooner than I thought. He already missed his only dinosaur egg. _Jasper thought happily.

Their thoughts faded away as I imagined Bella. Here, and in my arms.

---

_Beep._

The odd beeping sound pulled me out of my reverie. Everyone glanced at the computer screen which had seemed to awaken. I searched for the clock to verify the time. It read 9:17am. I was a little puzzled as to why Bella was up at such an early time. With all her nightmares, she needed the extra sleep that the weekends provided. Nevertheless, I was still excited to have gotten a reply from her.

I swiftly made my way to the computer—unable to hide my happiness. I furrowed my brows at the reply I had received from Bella.

_Hello Edward. _

Admittedly, that was not the response I was expecting… Not to say that I was so self-involved that I expected every happy emoticon in existence, but I did expect a response with a little more feeling. I might have thought she was just playing along with the whole_ Miss Swan_ joke if she had said _Hello Mr. Cullen_… But she had said _Hello Edward._

Her emotions seemed to be lacking in that response. My absence might not have been as debilitating as her pain from my departure had led me to believe…

_Ah. You are awake. Did you sleep well?_

So there wasn't going to be a lengthy declaration of missing me… Still, I was very pleased to get a chance to speak to her—if only through the medium of yahoo messenger. Unfortunately, this area received terrible service, even with our expensive phone plans. The only area for miles that did receive service was our usual hunting spot. I had absolutely no desire to speak to her there…who knows what kind of sounds Bella might hear. I could still remember with too much clarity the way she sobbed in Volterra at the sound of the people that were herded in for the Volturi's meal. It haunted me.

A couple minutes passed by with no response. I was about to send another message, when she finally responded.

_I have a surprise for you. _

Her responses were only increasing my confusion. Why was she being so cryptic?

_A surprise? What kind of surprise?_

Her response was faster this time. Almost instantaneous.

_When you return from your trip, go back to the spot in which we watched the meteor shower the other night. _

I was going to question her further—like what were you doing in Seattle? Or what is this surprise?—but she signed off. I stared at the computer screen with furrowed brows. What was wrong with Bella?

Was she just trying to increase my curiosity? Did she not know how easily she could do that, without the use of cryptic messages? Slowly, I rose from my seat and went back to the chair I was occupying. Jasper and Emmett's eyes were still focused on the game, but their thoughts were of me.

_I wonder what's wrong… _Emmett thought.

_His confusion is great. I wonder who he was talking to just now… But I don't want to pry. _Jasper thought.

"Bella," I said, answering Jasper's question.

The hours of the day seemed to drag on—with no more messages from Bella...cryptic or otherwise. I could not mask my excitement when it finally became dark enough for us to leave the room. After we had our fill, we would be able to leave. Bella would be back in my arms and I would finally uncover the mystery of the surprise waiting for me.

We ran to our usual spot—each of us closing our eyes and inhaling deeply to pinpoint the scent of our prey. I had already checked that no humans were in the forest. That sheer luck made me optimistic for my return to Bella. Surely seeing me would provoke a more heartfelt reaction.

We had each herded our various animals into the clearing we had claimed for these hunting trips. I had just finished and disposed of my elk when the phone in my pocket started to vibrate.

_Buzz. Buzz._

I glanced at the screen to find Alice's name flashing. "Alice," I said as I flipped it open. Jasper dropped his elk and look over at me, but Emmett just continued to wrestle with his grizzly bear.

"_Edward._" Her voice was calm, but I could hear the panic underlying her tone.

"Alice, what's wrong?" _Please not Bella. Please don't say Bella. Please not her. Not my Bella…_

"_Edward, I'm so sorry. I didn't see… I didn't see until it was too late."_

"What did you see?" My voice sounded dead, even to me.

"_I saw Bella at Charlie's… Something was wrong with her. She was sneezing violently on the kitchen floor…and then she wasn't alone,_" Alice replied in a solemn voice.

"Bella," I said in a choked whisper. My feet barely grazed the grass as I took off running towards home…towards Bella.

**A/N: Ok. There are a few things I would like to address.**

**The Man in White WILL be revealed in the next chapter. No matter what. **

**Before anyone starts attacking me about how melodramatic Edward/everyone was when Edward left Bella, here are a few things to consider:**

**-Vampires experience emotions more powerfully than humans**

**-The reason Edward could feel Bella's pain through Jasper, was because Bella's pain ENTIRELY consumed Jasper. Including his thoughts.**

**With that said, I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. The next chapter will be BPOV. **

**Review for me. Review for Edward. Review for the damn Yogi Bear boxers. **


	7. A Drug Induced Haze

**A/N: To all you amazing photoshopping people: I would be unbelievably grateful if you would use your talents to create some Dark Magic graphics/banners (All credit would go to you of course). Also, for those of you who were dying for this chapter, I hope you noticed that I've been posting little updates on my profile page. 0.o **

**So…this chapter is very short. It may even be my shortest one (maybe the second shortest). But…it IS the one you all have been waiting for. I find myself unsure… Unsure if posting this right now is a good idea. I dislike the fact that it's so short because I am sure I could lengthen it…**

**Be more descriptive? But the problem is that there is only so much you can describe when someone is in a situation such as Bella is currently in without it becoming redundant. Arg. I'm probably going to regret posting this…**

**BPOV**

I awoke in a daze, opening my eyes to an unending darkness. I tried to wipe the sleep from my eyes, but found that the haze didn't lessen. My legs were tightly compressed in the fabric of the skinny jeans Alice had forced upon me—I must've fallen asleep in my clothes... Darting my eyes across the dark room, I tried to focus in on the red light of my alarm clock, but it wasn't there.

_Oh right. I was staying in Edward's room._

I felt around the blanket, trying to find the edge of the bed. The blankets were different somehow—not as soft as they usually were.

I furrowed my brows at the bedding in the darkness. Although it was too dark and my eyes were too clouded to really see them, I knew they were different. Maybe Alice had changed them? But then…why would she? She was always criticizing my clothes, but she hadn't ever bothered with Edward's choice of bedding.

And where was the moonlight? _Shouldn't there be some sort of light coming from either the moon or the sun through Edward's window?_

Feeling my way, I crawled toward the edge of the bed. As I made to swing my legs over the side, my left leg jerked back. I yelped at the surprising force, and fell forward on my face. Once I was back into a sitting position, I inspected my left leg. My hands shook as I lightly grazed them over my left ankle. Wrapped around it was what felt like a metal band. Running my hands over the strange metal band, I found that there was something connected to it.

_Chains._

Using my hands, I followed the links of the chain until they stopped. There was another peculiar metal band enclosed around what felt like a bed post.

I could feel my panic rising as a rush of images flew through my head. _The flowers…the strange smell…the sneezing…and then…_

I gasped as I recalled the final image I saw before waking.

_The man in white._

Tears spilled across my cheeks as I realized what had happened. _I had been drugged._ And…_I had been kidnapped. _

Although I knew it was pointless, I tugged on the chains roughly. The jerking motion was very painful—the metal band almost seemed to burn against my ankle despite its obvious coolness. Wiping my tears away, I crawled back to my original position on the strange bed. It was terribly cold, but I did not want to feel _these_ blankets on my skin. I did not want to give whoever was keeping me captive—_the satisfaction_. So I wrapped my arms around my legs and rested my chin on my knees.

I rocked back and forth for what seemed like hours—thinking of Edward and praying he wasn't in a similar situation. _Of course, he would actually have a chance…being a vampire with super human strength and speed._

The darkness seemed to fuel my bitterness, as well as several unpleasant thoughts.

_What if I never get out of here? What if I never get to see Edward again? What if I die in here? Or worse…what if I live forever as a prisoner?_

The identity of my assailant was still a mystery… The Volturi seemed to be the only logical explanation. They weren't oblivious to the fact that I knew their secret—something that is forbidden for a human like me. But if it was them, then _why go through all this trouble? Why not just kill me right away? What was the point of the shackles? And why did I get a bed?_ Not that I was an expert on kidnapping…but _wasn't it supposed to be uncomfortable?_

I had a couple theories… Maybe the elaborate kidnapping was a way to sidestep Alice's visions? I could even justify the bed—the Volturi had always exuded class and always did things with style. Another thought occurred to me.

_What if they wanted me to join them? What if they were planning to change me into one of them?_

More tears slid off my face and onto my knees. The salty tears were cold—they made me shiver as they soaked through my jeans. _Not like this… Not like this… I don't want to become a vampire this way… Not like this… _Edward's voice spoke within my head.

_You will keep yourself safe. You are the reason for my existence and without you, I am nothing._

These words rang through my head over and over—like a CD that had begun to skip and replayed the same sequence in a never-ending loop. I repeated my previous thought, this time—whispering into the darkness. "_Not like this… Not like this… Not like this…"_

As I continued to rock back and forth, I tried to rub whatever drug that was interfering with my eyesight away. The effects of the drug were disorienting—like trying to look through a window with the blinds shut as someone spun you around and around in circles.

Again, I attempted to break the chains. I knew it was a futile attempt. They were like those Chinese finger cuffs—the further I pulled, the tighter the metal bands became. I winced as the metal cut deeper into my ankle. Tired of the pain, I let the chains clink down onto the bed, which in turn loosened the band and brought it back to its original position. My ankle throbbed as I stroked it soothingly.

Thinking of Edward, I wept silently for several hours until I finally drifted off. When I awoke much later, I was shaking and could feel the fresh tears running down my cheeks. The nightmare I had just escaped was the same frightening one I had my first night without Edward. He was no longer there…just me and the man in white. Except this time, I did not ask who was out there. Even in my nightmare I already knew. It was like the knowledge that he was holding me captive had seeped into my dream.

As strange as it may seem, I think I would've preferred the first dream I had of the man in white—the one where Edward's eyes became empty. Although seeing that scared me more than the thought of what would become of me in this dark place, at least I would've felt his cool arms wrapped around me for a few moments. It made me choke to think that I might never feel his arms around me again.

_That I might never smell his intoxicating breath wash across my face, hear is velvet voice, see his beautiful crooked smile and his intense eyes, touch is soft bronze hair, or __**taste**__ his cool lips as they press against mine ever again._

Tears welled up and spilled over as that thought sent me spiraling into depression. _If death is to be my fate, then my only hope is that Edward will continue with his existence and hopefully m-move on. _Even the thought of him moving on was hard to swallow. Broken sobs erupted from me as I pictured him trying to follow through with his…_contingency_ plans.

I clenched my eyes tightly shut. I did not want to think that way. He could not die. Never die. Not _him_. After all, he had Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Esme, Carlisle, and even Rosalie… They would not allow him to venture down that path of destruction again. All my trust was placed within them.

Through the filmy white clouding my vision, I stared out at the darkness in silence. It seemed like an eternity since I had seen Edward. My fiancée, my love, my soul mate..._my future_. None of these titles were enough to describe what Edward was to me. These terms sounded far too common for someone as unique as Edward. I smiled as my thoughts drifted back to the way he had kissed me the morning he had left. If I was going to spend the rest of my life here, then I was going to fill my every waking moment with his perfect chiseled features.

Hours upon hours past and although the memories of Edward made me smile, they also increased my sadness exponentially. These memories were just that—_memories. _That was all I had left. _Memories._ I laid my head back down upon my knees—just wallowing.

My head snapped up at a very loud sound outside the dark room. I was frozen in place. Suddenly the door flew open, revealing a bright white light. _The same bright white light that had flooded my vision before I had passed out on the kitchen floor._

The chains disappeared immediately as the white light hit the bed. With my new found freedom and the adrenaline now pumping in my veins, I jumped off the bed and sprinted towards the door—wobbling to the side and falling a few times as I did. I could feel the hard floor cut a hole through the material covering my left knee. Determined to persevere through the pain, I hopped back up to my feet and continued running—my left ankle and knee throbbing as I pressed my weight down with each step. I wasn't even halfway to the door when my body flew back against the wall above the bed—sending all the air whooshing out of my lungs.

The bed seemed to disappear from right under me. Instead of sliding back down the wall to the floor, I remained suspended midair—like there was something holding me up against the wall. I felt my arms extend upwards—pulled by an invisible force above my head. Both of my flailing legs instantly became still, like they had been glued to the wall. I tried to escape the invisible bonds, but found that it was no use.

"Hello Isabella."

The voice was familiar—though I could not place it. My heart beat unsteadily with fear as I squinted my eyes at the figure before me. The only thing I could see was his bright white clothing…

It was the man in white.

My breathing neared hyperventilation as I imagined what was soon to come. Pain. Lots of pain.

I was surprised when I felt a slight dust filled breeze blow across my face. As I blinked my eyes against the dust, the murkiness of my vision started to dissipate. My eyes grew wide with shock as I found myself level with the face of my kidnapper.

Mike Newton.

**A/N: Dun Dun DUN! The suspense. Ah.**

**Review. Please. And to those of you who write those long ass reviews: I FREAKING LOVE YOU. **

**There. I said it. Write a whole page if you must. It makes my freaking day.**


	8. A Shocking Occurrence

**A/N: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer—yada yada yada.**

**You guys are awesome! I love your reviews. The "I hate you for all the damn cliffies" make me squee… =] Oh and thank you for listening to my last A/N and leaving long reviews. [I love long reviews]**

**EPOV**

I could barely hear Jasper and Emmett's thoughts over my own frantic ones.

_You're in shock. What happened to Bella? Is Alice… _Jasper's thoughts trailed off as he followed me.

Emmett had finally released his grizzly bear and was running alongside Jasper. _Dude what's wrong? You look like someone just punched you in the gut._

"Where is she?" I asked in a monotone voice. The answer was on the tip of my tongue, but I refused to say it, not wanting it to be true.

"_I'm at Charlie's but she's no longer here._"

"Where is she Alice?" _How could I have been so idiotic? How could I have left her so unprotected? No matter what I do, I'm always putting her in danger. My venom is not the only harmful substance to be weary of. My entire being is like a poison on her life. My existence was draining away her far more precious existence. _

"_I don't know. She was supposed to come home right after she finished preparing Charlie's dinner. I thought she would be safe. Of course I kept an eye on her, but my vision showed her cooking spaghetti, getting in her truck, and arriving safely to the house. But then…a new vision came a couple minutes before I arrived at her house._"

"The one of Bella sneezing? Do you think someone was making snap decisions like Victoria did?" This was already sounding way too familiar to when the newborns attacked not too long ago.

"_I don't know, but all remnants of whatever happened have been removed. The kitchen looks completely the same…hold on a second."_

"What? _Alice!_ What did you find?" _Please let it be Bella._

"_A flower...Blackberry Bramble if I'm not mistaken. And I know I am not. Edward, there's some sort of chemical residue on this flower. And I can smell Bella's scent on it. She must have inhaled it…_" Venom filled my mouth and I tried to choke it down. I clenched my fists tightly, focusing on not breaking the phone that was already pressed too tightly against my ear.

"You said she wasn't alone in your vision. _Who._" _The culprit was going to pay. Whoever did this is going to wish they were dead. I am going to ensure that when Bella's safe, he is coherent enough to feel each and every individual torture I am going to deliver. Where to start? I could inject him with something that would immobilize, but not numb him. Although…maybe that wouldn't be best, considering how much I do enjoy a struggle. Perhaps I could leave him capable of movement? No matter what I decide to do, it won't be enough. First, I need to focus on finding Bella._

"_I didn't see. It was all very strange. I just kept getting quick flashes of Bella's sneezing and then there was a white figure standing over her._"

"A white figure?" My mind instantly wandered back to the morning I left Bella. She had dreamt of a man in white. "What did he look like?" _They couldn't be the same. They just couldn't. _

"_I don't know. It was so bright, but not from sunlight. This was a bright white light...unlike any other I have seen. The bright light sort of numbed the intensity of the images—like my vision was being blocked somehow,_" she said worriedly. Having holes in her visions bothered Alice more than she would be willing to admit. Of course with my abilities, I was privy to this insecurity.

"Could this be the work of the Volturi?" I asked. The Volturi had made their feelings toward Bella quite clear. When I had searched his mind in Volterra, Aro seemed to be too focused on my sister and me. Time passed differently for those ancient ones… I thought we would have years before they decided to take action. Again I had underestimated the danger I was placing Bella in. _Why didn't I just listen to the monster and change Bella when I had the chance?_ It seemed terribly wrong that this happened and I could lose her forever when we were so close to the wedding and I was so very close to changing her. Although I wanted to put off her transformation for as long as possible, I definitely preferred the loss of her humanity over—

"_No. I do not think this is their doing. They would not remove Bella from her home unless…"_

I growled, silencing Alice on the other end of the phone. I knew what she was about to say. I did not need to be close enough to hear her thoughts to know the words that were about to leave her mouth. _They would not remove Bella from her home unless she was already dead. They would not want to leave any evidence. After all, the Volturi's mission was to retain the secrecy of our world. _

"They would if killing her was not their intention." I knew my argument was flimsy at best, but I could not accept the idea that she was already dead. Not again.

"_That brings me to my next point. With all their assets, why use the flowers doused in chemicals? Bella is a frail human…they could have taken her without effort." _I knew she was right. The Volturi did not need such things. Even with Bella's resistance to mental attacks from our kind, she was very vulnerable physically.

Our conversation continued with my line of questioning as we reached the hotel's parking lot and I slid into the driver's seat of my Volvo quickly. The engine was already purring when Jasper and Emmett were in their seats a few moments later. Pressing the gas pedal as far down as I could without breaking it, I veered out into traffic.

"What about the white light you said you saw? Could that be an ability of some sort? An ability that allows the creature to conjure a blinding white light?"

"_It could…though that still brings up the question of why they would go through all that trouble when they could've taken her more easily." _

"Maybe the error in your visions is the key? The creature could have used the flowers in a way that would disable Bella, but not tip you or any of us off to his plans?" Again, it seemed like I was discussing a battle that had already passed. When was the universe going to stop throwing its dangers at Bella and me? It was like it was determined that our relationship end badly.

The universe had probably intended for it to end with Bella's death—that day in Biology when I smelled her intoxicating blood for the first time. In resisting the urge to kill her, I had beaten nature and now it was just trying to rectify the situation—over and over again. The van, Port Angeles, James, Laurent, the cliff, the Volturi, the newborns, Victoria…the list went on and on. This ceaseless occurrence of dangers seemed similar to _Final Destination_—Bella had cheated death and now it was out to correct that mistake.

"_That is a possibility... I'll continue to look through her house for more clues," _Alice replied sadly before hanging up. I had been so focused on Alice's words and my own thoughts that I had efficiently blocked out anyone and everything else. Now that I was paying attention to my surroundings, I was aware of the conversation Jasper and Emmett were having.

"If the Volturi have Bella—then I'm ready to kick some ass. Nobody messes with my tomato-faced sister-in-law," Emmett said, always ready for a fight.

"This doesn't seem like the work of the Volturi… The chemical residue suggests that the guilty party does not have the ability to just snatch Bella from her home," Jasper pointed out. There was no need to explain the circumstances—they had overheard the conversation, or at least had gathered enough information from my responses.

"Is someone taking care of the mess we left?" I asked in the same monotone voice that I had used while speaking to Alice. I could really care less if we just left the carcasses of our prey behind and the world subsequently became even more suspicious of our existence. Nothing mattered besides Bella.

"Yes, I called Esme. She said she will clean up for us," Jasper answered. Then he added with his thoughts, _she also said she was sorry for what has happened to Bella. _

I nodded and directed my gaze to the road, though I did not see the pavement. All I saw was Bella—alone and helpless. Then…_not alone._ The fury pulsed through me as I pressed my foot down on the gas pedal impossibly further.

---

After driving for several hours, we finally pulled up to the curb in front of Bella's house. We exited the vehicle silently and walked passed Bella's truck which was oddly parked in the driveway. It was not odd that she had parked it there because she often did that when she wasn't planning on staying long. What was odd was that it had been _left_ there. That meant that the creature was not close enough to Bella to know that leaving her truck there would create suspicion. Despite the severity of the situation, I took comfort in that thought.

Although I had stopped, Jasper and Emmett walked passed me and slipped inside. The house carried an eerie silence as I glanced up at Bella's window. Once I was on the doorstep, I caught a whiff of something—a strange scent. It was not one I had ever smelled before and was difficult to describe. It was an otherworldly scent that bothered my nostrils with its obscurity. The peculiar odor did not burn, but it did hold a somewhat numbing effect that dulled the intensity of the scents surrounding it.

The door opened and Alice stepped out of the house. "Did you smell this?" I asked, already hearing her answer in her thoughts.

"Yes. Unfortunately after following the trail into the forest, it just ended abruptly," Alice answered, looking up into the darkened sky.

I furrowed my brows at her. "What do you mean it just ended abruptly?" Had there been a car waiting for the creature at the forest's edge?

"The trail ceased in the middle of the forest."

Thoroughly confused, I verified her words with the memory that was currently going through her mind. "In the middle of a forest? How is that possible?"

_I don't have any answers, Edward_. Alice thought, the pain evident in her eyes. She loved Bella almost as much as I.

The scent of this unknown creature was unsettling, so I stepped into the house and entered the kitchen to survey the damage. Alice was right—there wasn't any. So the creature had enough time to incapacitate Bella and clean up? My mouth snapped shut as I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists. This was not Alice's fault, but _how could he have had so much time? How could he have done all this and flee the scene before Alice's arrival?_

Leaving Bella to go hunting was supposed to increase her safety, not put her at the mercy of another danger. Alice drifted to my side and handed me a flower—the one I assumed she had found with the chemical residue. It was an interesting white flower (well, weed). I knew the meaning that coincided with it, and it seemed like the devious plant was mocking me. The irony of its presence in this situation was laughable. The Blackberry Bramble was considered a holy plant that warded off evil spirits—it was also a symbol of remorse. _Did that mean her kidnapper was remorseful for his deed? _

I snorted without humor. Being in tune with the thoughts of humans and vampires alike, I knew how unlikely that notion was. I found myself snorting again as I recalled another one of the plant's many uses—a remedy for venomous bites. _Did the creature choose this plant for its meaning? Or in an attempt at humor?_

Alice quirked an eyebrow at me. Apparently my random spurts of humorless laughter were again fueling their theory that I was going insane. "I was just admiring the irony of the fiend's choice in plants…"

Alice glanced at the weed in my hand and then nodded. Her face was grim, as were her thoughts. _He seems to be taking this very hard, but I had never known him to laugh at a time such as this. _

I suppose it was insane that I could find any humor in Bella's current predicament. _What is wrong with me? I had never so much as smiled when Bella was in danger. Never. Why could I laugh now? _

Glaring at my reflection in one of the windows, I ascended the staircase to inspect her room. Everything was as she had left it—her bed was made, several pairs of shoes were spread across the floor, her window was unlocked… The scent from outside—it was here, though very faint. My self-loathing increased as that fact made me wonder if that was how her captor had gained entrance. It was another way that the fault could be placed upon me.

As I walked over to the window, I passed her computer which was humming in a state of sleep. My eyes grew wide with astonishment as I remembered our conversation on yahoo, only hours before she was taken. The computer spurred to life as I moved the mouse left to right.

And there it was—the window in which we had exchanged messages was still open. She was not logged out as I had originally thought, but her account was set to _invisible_. Why would she do that? As I bent down to inhale the air around the keyboard, it was there. His scent was there. Bella's scent was less prominent—it had been days since her delicate fingers had trailed along the keys.

It was the captor—he was the one whom I had exchanged messages with. A growl erupted from my chest as I glared at the screen and slammed my fist down—destroying her mouse and the legs of her computer desk. The sound of Alice's footsteps echoed in my ears as she approached me.

_Edward…what's wrong?_

"He was here Alice." _He was here._

She seemed confused by my statement and her thoughts were cautious. _Yes Edward…but we already knew that._

My fingers dug into Bella's desk—there was no need to restrain myself, for I was going to need to replace it anyway.

Part of me wanted to shake her for not seeing this. Part of me wanted to place all the blame on her for what had happened. Part of me recoiled from the idea that I could be so dense—that I could not only abandon her, but be dimwitted enough to fail to notice that I was not conversing with Bella. If I was even slightly intelligent, I would have anticipated that there was danger and I would have prevented this. It had been hours… _HOURS_ before she had been taken. I had ample time to return and protect her.

Alice's hand appeared over mine as she read the computer screen silently. The same words reoccurred in her thoughts. _I have a surprise for you. When you return from your trip, go back to the spot in which we watched the meteor shower the other night._

Her eyes were full of concern as I turned to face her. _You can't Edward. It's too dangerous._

"You're right. It is too dangerous…which is exactly why I need to go. It is also the reason why I should go _alone_," I looked into her eyes intently. Emmett was now standing in the doorway.

"If you're going to go meet this guy, then I'm going to be right beside you," Emmett said with conviction.

"You can't just go after him. Not only do we have no idea who we're dealing with, but I am confident that this is a trap," Alice said, gesturing to the screen.

"So what am I supposed to do Alice? Wait? Just sit here and wait for her to magically appear in my arms?" I said angrily, taking a step closer so that I was towering over her. "Bella is in danger. The longer we wait, the greater the chance will be that when we finally do find her—and believe me, we _will_ find her—_she will be dead_." I cringed as I spat the last words at my sister.

She did not step back or get angry—she just looked into my eyes sadly. "I know you are worried about her. We all are. Still, we must exercise caution. Grant me twenty four hours to try to figure this out. If we are no closer to locating Bella by that time, then you can go meet this person head-on."

---

My fingers thrummed against the dining room table. The keys to Bella's truck were pressing against me from inside my pocket. To avoid any action from the police, I had moved Bella's truck to our house. Charlie was safer in the dark and more content. The feeling of uselessness was gnawing on my insides as I just sat here—doing nothing. Though I was technically only waiting for the rest of my family to return with their news because I was faster, the absent of movement still made me feel ineffectual…

It was like watching a flower slowly die from lack of nourishment, but being too lazy to quench its thirst with some water. I was watching Bella's life deteriorate as my mind conjured up an endless amount of images to torment me. Every second that clock ticked by was a precious moment of Bella's life passing in whatever hell had befallen her. Needing something—anything to do while I waited, I drifted outside to the mailbox. The mail should have arrived hours ago and I was expecting something that seemed far more special when I knew Bella was safe.

The small brown package was there and as I opened it I looked dejectedly at the green wrapping. Although she was not fond of purchased gifts, I knew this one would please her. There had been a day a week or so ago when Alice had taken a picture of Bella and I together. Alice had the pictures developed immediately, determined to create a "Before the Wedding" album. When we had finally been granted access to the prints, I was pleasantly surprised of Bella's reaction.

To see the way her lovely eyes lit up as she gazed at our smiling faces made my heart soar. The way she usually saw herself had always bothered me, so seeing her actually enjoy her appearance in a picture had inspired me to take action. I needed nothing more than that initial reaction and the knowledge that she kept a copy close to her at all times, to send the other copy to be blown up and placed in a special frame. Increasing the size was only necessary because the print had been just a size or two smaller than what I desired for my Bella.

My fingertips trailed over the emerald green wrapping that concealed the beautiful black frame which was covered in little jeweled lavenders and blue roses. The blue roses were made of her birthstone—sapphire. That stone had come to mean a great deal to me, for it celebrated the birth of such an amazing woman. Hopefully the picture would distract her from the expense of the jeweled frame which I could not resist splurging on. Placing the frame back into the box, I flipped through the mail. There were several magazines: _Motor Trend_ for Rosalie, _North American Hunter_ for Emmett (he was always looking for something new to hunt), and _Better Homes and Gardens _for Esme.

As I continued setting aside a couple letters from our various bank accounts, I noticed an envelope that showed no address and held no stamp—meaning that whoever sent this, had to have delivered it in person. My brows knit together as I broke its seal and pulled out a letter. Several scents hit me at once—the first was that bizarre numbing odor. The second was a somewhat floral aroma that I adored although it burned my throat. Swiftly, I unfolded the letter to find three lone words.

_She is mine._

Below these words was a red drop—the source of the amazing and painful floral scent. It was a drop of Bella's blood.

My hands shook with rage as I read the words over and over. _She is mine. She is mine. She is mine. She is mine. She is mine. She is mine. She is mine. She is mine. She is mine. She is mine._

No more waiting.

Because I was not human, my legs did not ache as I pushed myself to run faster. From some sort of inner strength, I had withheld the growl of anger and moan of pain that simultaneously threatened to leave my mouth when I read that letter. If such sounds had escaped my lips, my family would have been alerted to my departure. Although Alice would see soon enough where I was going, I still had a decent head start.

Not only had this sadistic creature taken my Bella, but he head hurt her in some way. He had spilled her blood. _Now it is my turn to hurt him. _However, if this creature does have blood…I will not spill it. There are plenty of tortures that would be better delivered while the creature is perfectly coherent enough to feel every terrible moment.

As I ran closer and closer to the secret spot by the waterfall where Bella and I had enjoyed the view of the meteor shower, several images invaded my mind. _Bella, scared and helpless._ _Bella, in pain._ And the worst of all…_Bella, dead_.

Finally, I reached the area in which we had viewed the meteor shower. Everything was silent—the sky was dark and calm, there was no movement among the trees, even the water was strangely tame. As I stood in the middle of the small clearing, a slight breeze ran through the trees—stealing my attention from the water. Although the trees had been stoic when I checked them only a moment ago, they were now swaying from the force of the air whistling passed. As the air came closer to where I stood, the same numbing odor entered my nose. That was all the confirmation I needed to know which direction I needed to go to find the fiend and in turn, find Bella. The light that shone through the trees at that moment did nothing but strengthen my resolve. It was as if the light was calling me—drawing me nearer to where I ached to be. At Bella's side.

Deeper and deeper I went into the forest as the light grew brighter and brighter. It seemed as if my location and the light were directly proportional. Even the intensity of the odor increased, making it difficult for me to search for the only scent I longed to smell—Bella. Losing one's sense of smell can be unnerving—vampires rely on that heightened ability more so than any other. In any other circumstance, I am sure I would have refrained from pursuing such an uncomfortable feeling. Thankfully, being around Bella had given me a sort of tolerance for uncomfortable feelings…

Deeper and deeper, brighter and brighter, closer and closer I became to reuniting with the meaning of my existence. Despite the increased numbing effect of the strange odor, I could now smell a familiar floral one. The intensity of the scent allowed me to imagine holding her in my arms as it whirled around in my head—exciting several other reactions.

Eventually the brightness of the light became too much to bear and I found myself squinting in its direction. As a vampire, I had a heightened sense of sight that afforded me the ability to identify every color within the spectrum of a light bulb and not once did I find myself squinting. All I could smell at this point was the numbing odor and the mouthwatering floral scent. The fact that the other scents around me were now absent enforced the idea that the only reason I could smell Bella now was because of how in tune I was to her.

My speed slowed minutely as a large cabin came into view. Once my eyes narrowed in on a possible entrance, I went back to my original speed and pried open the door. The hallway I was now in was dimly lit and the odor seemed far less powerful—I could smell the linoleum below my feet. The sound of a male and female voice filled my ears and I was so elated to hear Bella's voice that I did not pay attention to the words. Using more force than was entirely necessary, I slammed the door open and entered the room.

So many images, thoughts, and emotions hit me—all at once.

Mike—_surprise, then anger. _

Bella—_she's alive. Relief and love. _

Mike's lips upon Bella's—_undiluted rage._

Bella kissing him back—_the most excruciating pain I had only felt once before. _

Finally, a thought that did not belong to me.

_Hello Dracula. Have you come to give us your blessing?_

**A/N: Another damn cliffy… I am so very sorry. Unfortunately at this point in the story, every chapter may **_**need**_** to end with a cliffy. So sad, but so true. **

**So there is an actual reason why Edward could laugh at the irony of the plant… I wasn't having him go out of character **_**just because.**_** This only accounts for **_**this**_** chapter though. The other spurts of laughter from previous chapters were just…Edward trying to deal with being apart from Bella. **

**Link to where I got the plant info can be found on my profile. *Mumbles* Stupid site not letting me post links or make a REAL heart with a less than sign and a 3... =[**

**I'm going to address a thought that most of you are probably having: Bella does NOT get raped. No. No. No. The next chapter will probably determine whether I leave the story with its "M" rating or change it to "T". **

**Review and the next chapter will come faster… *wink***


	9. Painful Negotiations

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. This chapter is so freaking long. It was overloading my brain. There is so much information in this chapter…I feel like I should recommend taking notes. Lmao. I didn't reach my 10,000 word goal, but I came pretty damn close. Holy moley. **

**Minor things from the sneak peek were changed. Mike is sick in this chapter. Ye be warned. **

**BPOV**

"Mike?" I croaked as I stared in shock at the blonde boy standing before me. I had seen him only a day or so before, but the changes that were now present were endless. His hair stood out in jagged blonde spikes that were perfectly formed and symmetrical. His clothes were unusually formal—he wore a white suit that seemed like it belonged on a runway or in a wedding. Even his shoes and tie were white—making his complexion look pasty and his hair even blonder. His spotless appearance was strange, but nothing was as strange as his eyes. They were a deep black that almost resembled the way Edward's eyes had looked when I saw him last. One difference was the slight purple tint swirling through the blackness—avoiding where I estimated his pupil to be. The other difference was the way this pair of eyes gazed into mine. Menace with something else that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and wish that I _did_ have that can of pepper spray.

He smirked as he brought his hands behind his back and rocked backward. "Were you expecting Voldemort?" he asked sarcastically.

My brows furrowed as I stared at Mike in confusion. "Mike… What's going on?"

He avoided my question with another. "What do you _think_ is going on?"

"I think I have been kidnapped… But that doesn't explain why you're here… Can you help me get down?"

He was still leaning slightly back as he dodged another question. "What do you remember before waking up here?"

Mike was looking at me like we were discussing the last movie I had seen. Though his line of questioning and dismissal of mine was strange, I decided to humor whatever game he was playing and answer this one too. "The last thing I can remember is going to my house after work…" I trailed off and he gestured for me to continue with his right hand. "I was preparing Charlie's dinner when there was a knock on the door…" Again, I hesitated. He nodded silently for me to continue with a slight smile on his lips. "There was a bouquet of flowers… I can't remember what they were called, but I think they were drugged or something." I waited for his expression to change into one of shock, but it didn't so I pressed on. "After I smelled them, I started to get really dizzy… I couldn't see straight and I started to sneeze uncontrollably. Though…they weren't like normal sneezes, just the convulsions. I fell down and tried to call for help, but my phone must've fallen out of my pocket when I hit the kitchen floor. Then…I saw a man in white."

As I spoke those last few words, Mike's smile became even more prominent. His appearance took on a whole other meaning as I repeated those words in my head. _A man in white._

Mike leaned forward so that he was inches away from my face and poked himself in the chest. "That was me," he said with a smile.

My eyes widened in shock as his words registered. I felt stupid for not seeing it before—it was pretty obvious when he walked in here wearing all white, but still… _Mike?_

"But…how?" I asked, accepting that this might be real—though it felt more like one of my nightmares. There were millions of questions that I wanted answered, but the gravity of the situation left me petrified and almost completely speechless.

_Where am I? Why am I here? What does Mike want? What is he planning to do? How is he able to support my weight against this wall without the aid of…anything? _

"You mean, how can I do things like this?" he asked, gesturing to the invisible restraints that held me to the wall. Slowly, I nodded—wondering what he could have possibly dosed me with to cause such powerful hallucinations. "So I take it, your vision has fully returned?" he asked, sidestepping the question. My eyes narrowed and he must have taken that as confirmation because he continued.

"The dust that I blew on your face was the antidote to that little chemical based charm that I placed on your bouquet… Which reminds me, you never said. Did you enjoy the flowers? The flowers are called Blackberry Brambles by the way. They seemed to fit well with my style and your skin. You _appeared_ pleased upon reading my note." He gazed into my eyes, awaiting my answer.

_His_ note?

_Soon, you will belong to me. _

Grimacing at the serious meaning of those words—being in this place left me with doubt that those words were meant to be figurative—I considered his statement. _You _appeared_ pleased upon reading my note. _

He had been watching me. Those noises I had heard when I first walked through the front door to my home were coming from him. My stomach churned as I imagined him lurking in the trees—watching me like some psychotic stalker. Admittedly, it was a tad ironic that I found such knowledge disturbing for there was rarely a time when Edward _wasn't_ scrutinizing my every movement. The difference between the two feelings I suppose was that one of them was the love of my life, whereas the other was just some creepy guy. A creep guy that had used a _charm_ on me?

"Charm?" I asked with furrowed brows. Drugs weren't necessarily my forte, but I had never heard anyone call them "charms". Being the daughter of the Chief of Police, I thought I had heard every slang word for those typically illegal substances. Whatever he had used was definitely illegal.

"Yes, charm. You didn't think a mere chemical could create all those effects did you? It needed a little kick…" he smiled. I still wasn't sure what he meant by "charms". The way he was speaking was strange—he usually spoke like any other student at Forks High, but now his words belonged to someone else—someone from an earlier time. My eyes widened as I thought of an impossible possibility…

"Are you… Are you…a v-vampire?" I stuttered. If my current position was not a hallucination, then it would explain how he could possibly being holding me up against the wall. This could all be part of his special ability. He stared at me for a moment and then started to laugh uncontrollably. After several minutes, he wiped a tear from his eyes and composed his face into a small smirk. A tear._ Vampires can't cry. _

"Only you would come up with such an absurd idea." My face reddened in anger as he mocked me. _I didn't think it was absurd. I mean just look at all the clues? Pale skin, black eyes…which could just look slightly purple because of some contacts, the way he spoke like he was from a different time, his abilities... _

His smile was condescending. "As if vampires actually exist." My face paled and my teeth dug into my bottom lip as he said those words because that statement not only meant that he did not know about vampires, but that he did not know about Edward either. This didn't escape his notice and he seemed a little too curious for my liking.

"Vampires? Really?" he smirked sarcastically.

"Err…what?" Feigning ignorance seemed like the safest bet. Though I was always such a terrible liar…

"Isabella Swan, are you telling me you actually believe vampires exist?" he asked doubtfully. I chastised myself for revealing the existence of vampires so bluntly because although I couldn't really explain it, Mike knowing about Edward just screamed _bad idea_. Knowing that fact might not only prepare him better if Edward did show up, but the challenge might excite him—like it did James.

I snorted. Snorting wouldn't betray my lie, and might make it more believable. "No, of course not."

His gaze became incredulous. "_You do._ I _really_ did not peg you as a horror movie buff. Especially after what happened during that horror movie you and Jessica went to." Internally, I kicked myself for being so easy to read.

"I don't know because they _aren't real. _Now stop this nonsense and _get me down from here_!" I spat. Anger was good. It might actually convince him...

"I'm afraid I can't do that," he replied. Not the answer I was hoping for, but at least I had effectively changed the subject.

I set my jaw. "Why not? Why am I even here? I want to know what's going on."

He rocked backward again before he spoke. "You are here Isabella because I have chosen you." _Chosen me to die. _

"Let me go Mike."

"No," he replied, stretching out the word. The invisible restraints' grip did not lessen as I jerked my arms and legs away from the wall. Mike bowed his head as he sighed and began pacing in front of me.

"Edward will find me you know."

He stopped abruptly, snapping his head up. "Edward won't be able to do anything," he glared.

His irritation at my mention of Edward made me smile. "Right. Like some guy who has to resort to drugging girls to find a date would be any match for him." Insulting him probably wasn't a good idea, but I just couldn't stop the words from coming out of my mouth.

His eyes narrowed and he turned to a small table to my right. During our conversation, I had been almost entirely oblivious to my surroundings. Now that there was light, I could clearly see everything—the walls were covered in dark gray wallpaper that was peeling in most places to reveal stone and although there were several windows, they were all covered by long deep purple drapes. The floor looked like it was made of the same stuff as a cobblestone path. There were lit candles covering just about every surface and hanging from the ceiling. This place resembled a dungeon that one would find in an old horror movie, or a castle.

His mood became lighter as he twirled a small bottle in his hands. "Would you like to know how I got these gifts?" I nodded out of morbid curiosity. Clearly he meant me harm, but I was always interested in weird things like vampires, werewolves, and whatever Mike is—assuming all of this wasn't part of some drug induced hallucination. Dragging a long story out of him might also buy me some time before he would subject me to whatever torture he had planned. _Only delaying the inevitable, but far better than starting the pain prematurely. Maybe even Edward could find me in time…_

_That was what usually happened right? _The villain was supposed to babble on and on about how his diabolical scheme had succeeded, thereby allowing the hero to arrive in the nick of time to save the damsel in distress. Crossing my fingers seemed rather childish, but I did it anyway. _Couldn't hurt right?_

"I suppose I should start from the beginning," he said, wetting his lips with his tongue.

"From what I've gathered of my family's history," he began, "my ancestors had the same inane ability to manipulate their crafts. For centuries, my family was on top, bending their surroundings to their will. And the surrounding people," he winked. His expressed became bitter as he continued, "Unfortunately, some village idiots got their panties in a twist and began targeting my kind."

"Your kind? There are more of you?"

He ignored my questions. "Despite our immense amount of power, we are still faced with the same physical weaknesses as any other person." This idea bothered him and it seemed hard for him to admit that he had the same chance of death like me. He definitely had a god complex.

"Though most of their accusations fell upon the innocent, it wasn't long before the finger was pointed at my ancestor, Michael Newton. I was named after him you know," he spoke of his ancestor with reverence. "We are alike in ways other than our names." He tapped the index finger of his left hand on his chin in a thoughtful way—staring off into the distance. His gaze landed back on me and he smiled. "You see, there was this poor village girl living in a nearby cottage. Her parents ran the town bakery in which the entire town shopped, supplying the people with tantalizing sweets. Though they actually did fairly well, Michael considered everyone apart from himself to be poor. Michael had somewhat of a sweet tooth. He would stand outside the shop, gazing into the window with lust-filled eyes."

"One day, he passed the window just as the daughter was replacing the carrot cakes with several batches of mint filled chocolates. Her hair and eyes were the color of the creamy chocolates she made and her skin was soft and pale like the mint cream that filled them. He soon found himself gazing at her—the desserts forgotten. Not once had he ever entered the shop—always sending one of his servants to retrieve the desserts he desired for he could not be bothered to wait for the goodies to be packaged. His feet began to move of their own accord to the doorway of the shop. The smell of mint filled his lungs—sending a tingling feeling throughout his body."

His laugh pulled me back to the candlelit room and away from the story of sweets. My stomach grumbled for I had not eaten since I sampled the spaghetti I made for Charlie. The way he was telling this story was odd…like he had experienced everything firsthand. "I know what you're probably thinking, but he was not fat. Magic is a very useful tool for someone with no willpower when it comes to sweets." _So he was using magic? Like a magician or something? _

Once his laughing ended, he cleared his throat and resumed the story. "Led by his nose, he opened his eyes which he had not realized he had closed, to find himself standing before the girl. She smiled tentatively, before silently handing him one of the chocolates she had just placed in the window. Without saying a word, he took the chocolate and popped it into his mouth. The delicious chocolate melted upon his tongue for a moment before the delicious taste of mint filled his mouth. Her smile grew at the satisfaction she could clearly see upon his face. To Michael, that mint filled piece of chocolate was practically orgasmic."

He chuckled as I lowered my gaze to the floor—afraid he might give me some _inappropriate_ details…

Clearing his throat again, I looked up to see a fleeting smile. "He ended up buying all the mint chocolates she had just placed in the window. The girl thanked him for his patronage and told him to come in again sometime and she would let him try one of her mint chocolate cake concoctions. The prospect of such a dessert elated him as he reluctantly left the shop with a dozen boxes."

"For months, he only watched—following her to her home, the bakery, and to a mysterious house. Michael never did pay much attention to the villagers for his fortune afforded him opportunities to fraternize with high society. After some research and what he witnessed from peeking through the mysterious house's windows, he found out that the house was occupied by a sick elderly man who was dying from some unknown disease. By circumstance, he was cut off from the rest of the town. The people were not intentionally cruel, they were only fearful that they would catch the same disease if they came in contact with him. However, this did not discourage the girl from her daily visits. She would bring a tray of various chocolates and cakes to the old man and sit with him for hours. She wore a glorious smile as she fed the poor old man the sweets and seemed to relish in his enjoyment—one could never wear a frown when tasting one of her treats. She did not wear gloves or cover her mouth—the girl seemed to disregard her own safety entirely. She mesmerized him with her beauty and caring nature."

I couldn't help but imagine myself as the girl he was describing. Cooking was something I loved to do, just as baking was something the girl clearly enjoyed. She had brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin, and people questioned her sense of self-preservation. Mike was basically describing me. The anxiety over what the end of this story would yield for the girl made my stomach flip uncomfortably. Somehow it felt like whatever the girl's fate had been was about to be mine as well.

"Soon, observing was no longer enough for him. For a week, he had a large bouquet of Blackberry Brambles send to her at the shop." He chuckled at my surprised expression. Mike and his ancestor really were alike…or maybe Mike had just found inspiration in his ancestor's actions? Either way, I had a feeling the story would end badly for the nameless girl.

"Although her parents were overjoyed that their daughter had acquired a suitor, she did not seem to feel the same way. Michael decided that flowers must not have been enough to sway her, so he began to send her jewelry. Every stone was handpicked by himself from his own private collection. Again, he chose a week as the time frame in which to send them. By the week's end, he was confident she would be weak at the knees by the marriage proposal he was going to give." I interrupted his story with a snort. Why did men always think jewelry was the way to get a girl into bed?

He didn't comment on the sound. "On his way to the shop, he passed by several children playing with something small and shiny. The dirt on their faces and the rags they wore told him they were even poorer than the girl he had fallen in love with. The child's face was covered in guilt as he asked her to extend her hand and show him the shiny object she was concealing. She began to pout, but did as he asked. Anger filled Michael for he recognized the jewel as one of his own—one he had sent to the girl. When he accused the child of theft, she shook her head and told him it was given to her by the _nice lady at the bakery_. Michael had a certain _knack_ for knowing whether a person was being truthful and knew she was not lying. He stormed away from the child and continued walking to the shop—his anger now directed at the girl. As he entered the bakery, the girl smiled at him, but it soon faltered as she took in his enraged state."

"He asked her why she had given her gifts away. The girl was surprised to find out he was her suitor, but apologized for giving the jewelry away—saying she would have sent them to him if she had known. The delicious smells and her beauty calmed him enough to allow the question that had been burning inside of him for months, escape his lips. Kneeling down on one knee was beyond him, so he settled for revealing the enormous diamond ring inches from her face. Remorse covered her features as she stepped back and declined his offer. When he asked why, she told him her heart belonged to another. This confused Michael for he had been following her for months and not once had he seen her with another man—other than the sick elderly one she visited. Later that day, he followed her back to the home of the sick man. The routine was the same, but this time he noticed someone sitting in the corner of the room. It was a young man with dark hair and common clothes that were splattered with blood. The man swiftly made his way to where the girl stood. Hate flowed through him as he watched the man kiss the girl he loved. This time Michael did not follow the girl home. He followed the young man who entered a butcher shop, which explained the blood. Inspired by the red splatter, Michael placed a hex on the young man. The young man found himself insatiably thirsty, but there was no water within the butcher shop—just buckets of blood."

Vomit filled my mouth as I imagined what he would say next. Salt and rust invaded my nostrils though there wasn't any blood around. Choking down the vomit was unpleasant, but I didn't want Mike to think his story had gotten to me. I had a vampire fiancé for goodness sakes! Why should the concept of consuming vast amounts of blood bother me? The answer was easy to discover—it bothered me because the young man was human and the consumption of blood undoubtedly caused his death.

Edward was always gauging my reaction… Fearful that I might run away screaming at any moment—even after all the time we had spent together. Mike seemed less worried that I would do this—_maybe because I literally couldn't. _

"After the young man lay dead upon the butcher shop's floor, Michael waited in the nearby trees and watched as the girl he loved wept—tracing the corpse's bloody lips with her finger before his body was carried away. For weeks she remained locked in her room—speaking to no one. Michael did not feel regret for what he had done; only that she was not yet done grieving. Eventually she was forced to go back to work at the bakery, for her mother was far too busy taking care of her father who had recently fallen ill. Of course Michael knew the moment she had left the house and entered the bakery to request her hand once more. Now that the young man was no longer in the picture, he knew she would succumb to his desires. Once again he revealed the diamond ring inches from her face. A small smile fell upon her lips, though it did not touch her eyes, as she refused _once again_. Outraged, Michael began to yell at the girl, pummeling her with accusations and questions about how she could refuse when her former love lay beneath the dirt. Her face crumpled in pain at his words. She could barely speak, but Michael heard her words as if she had yelled them at him. _'I cannot marry you, for my heart will always belong to him. There is nothing you or anyone else can do to change that.'_"

Sympathy washed over me for the girl and I flinched as the image of Edward covered in blood and my finger tracing _his_ blood soaked lips came to mind. She had lost her love, but still somehow found the strength to carry on and help her family. I also understood how she felt—if Edward were to die I would never find love again. Merely, I would wait until my time came to join him in the afterlife. As much as Edward believed he was soulless, I knew differently. After all, how could someone without a soul experience love?

"The bitter taste of rejection was not something Michael was accustomed to," his face showed irritation that I could only associate with my own refusal of his advances. "Not once had any of his wishes been denied. Not once had he been refused. He had eliminated the competition for the girl's heart yet she still would not take him as her husband. He was prideful, he did not want to resort to magic, but he was also exceedingly greedy. His thoughts were always circulating around her and his desires dimmed his sense of pride. Michael began to formulate a plan. The potion took only a day or so to create and the incantation was very simple. He only needed her to drink it and then to be the first to obtain a kiss from her for the potion to take effect." _A potion? _My mind was reeling at the idea of a potion being able to create false love.

_How disgusting. To force someone into love…_

"Bittersweet chocolate paraded across the air outside the shop—she had stopped making vibrant dishes since the young man's death." He inhaled deeply, as if he was standing outside the shop in his story. "Every dessert had been made with bittersweet dark chocolate to match her mood. The town's people enjoyed these as much as any of her older dishes, but they could clearly see the reason behind the dark chocolate and began to pity her. This was why their patronage never lessened," he said matter-of-factly.

"Michael entered the shop under the guise of being repentant for his less than gentlemanly actions. Apologizing for his proposals and feigning shame were all part of his plan. Teary eyed, she accepted his apology and told him she was again sorry she could not return his affection. He smiled tentatively at her and asked if she would like some of the tea he had brought to help comfort her while she was experiencing her grief. Reluctantly, she accepted after he insisted it was part of his apology and that he would not accept her forgiveness until she agreed. Leading him to a table in the back of the bakery, she took a seat and Michael produced two glasses. Due to the potion's contents, Michael was not susceptible to its effects like anyone else who might drink it. One of the ingredients…" he trailed off and I silently contemplated what the secret ingredient could be and how it would relate to his ancestor.

"Her nose crinkled as she smelled the liquid within her glass. Michael made a face that shown his hurt over her expression of disgust. Immediately, she felt terrible and downed the glass in one gulp—pausing to cough a couple times at the unpleasant taste and pain that always accompanied drinking such a potion. Her smile came out more as a grimace as she fought to keep her dislike of the _tea_ hidden. Michael smiled as he drank his glass—though the taste was terrible, the potion did not burn because it held a part of him. He leaned over the table to give her a quick kiss, but she dodged it. Her whole frame shook with anger as she demanded him to leave, no longer fooled by his repentant façade. Slowly, he rose from his seat and walked to the door, but instead of leaving, he shut the door and locked it. Sensing danger, the girl jumped from her seat—running towards the back door. I suppose she didn't entirely disregard her safety," he chuckled.

"It didn't do any good though. She barely made it from the room when her body slammed against the wall—the sound of one of the wall's paintings crashing to the floor with the impact. Terror covered her face as he pressed his whole body against her." I shook my head, not wanting to hear anymore. Personal experience told me what was about to happen and I did not want to relive what had almost transpired in Port Angeles, or one of the forced kisses Jacob had planted on me.

Ignoring my silent pleas, he smiled and continued. "Frantic screams filled the empty shop as Michael's lips made contact with hers. The process took a couple of minutes, but she was soon smiling at him—her gaze full of love. They were blissfully happy as the girl abandoned her family and moved in with him. She could not remember anything about her life prior to that first kiss, except Michael. That was when the finger was pointed at him. Her family noticed the change and accused him of bewitching their daughter. Forced to lay low, they fled the town and he discontinued all use of magic—determined to appear normal and live a happy life with his beloved. He fathered children which produced their own children and so forth. Somehow magic was being detected, so out of fear he kept his abilities a secret. This meant his children were never taught the ways of the craft, thereby decreasing the occurrence of suspicion from the surrounding people. But suppressing such power for so long has interesting effects. Power begins to manifest in odd ways—in my case, blackouts."

My eyebrows furrowed, "Blackouts?"

"When I was a child, I used to have blackouts. They would occur suddenly and when I would wake, I would find myself in bizarre places with no recollection of how I got there or what had transpired during the blackout. Of course, whilst experiencing a blackout, I could remember everything that had happened in each individual one prior. Doctors and specialists came to diagnose my illness, but they could find nothing wrong with me. After eight years of living with my blackouts, they just stopped. Everyone was amazed—the doctors still could not figure out why I had them in the first place, but decided the sudden cure was their doing," he said sarcastically.

"Then out of no where, one hit me a couple nights ago. Now I know part of the reason I always had them. The blackouts were a form of release for the pent up power in my system. During these brief episodes, I can fully access my abilities. But I made an even a more shocking discovery. Instead of blackouts, my power has been manifesting during my sleep and I have sleep walked on many occasions."

"So which one are you? The Mike I've known since I moved here or the blackout Mike?"

He began to chuckle. "Blackout Mike."

"You mean…you're having a blackout right now?" It would explain his bizarre behavior…

"Can't get anything passed you, can I?" Confirmation. That meant that this Mike…

"Magic?" I asked. I was sure he would understand the meaning of the one-worded question. Suddenly, his reference to Harry Potter made sense. He had said '_Who did you expect? Voldemort?'_ His character choice was unnerving because Voldemort was the evil incarnate in the world of Harry Potter. He had committed just about every despicable crime in existence including many, many murders. _Did Mike really identify with that character? And if so, what would happen to me?_

Narrowing his eyes slightly, he spoke with determination. "Well I suppose there's no point in keeping it a secret any longer… I am a warlock, Isabella."

I stared at him for a few minutes before I was capable of uttering a response. "A w-what?"

"A war—lock," he stretched out the word condescendingly. His words became even more patronizing as he took in my dumbfounded expression. "Maybe I should fully explain what that means? Let's see… The possibilities of what I can do are practically limitless… I doubt you could come up with something that I _couldn't_ do," he bragged. "There's telekinesis," he waved his hand at my body which was still invisibly plastered to the wall. "Simple incantations…like turning the inside of an apple into the inside of an orange, or inflicting balance problems on the unsuspecting," he made a pointed glance at me and I glared, wondering if any of my falls were _his_ fault. That prospect was unlikely.

It was ironic that Mike would confess to be such a being because I could recall making a joke about Angela being a witch…

"Unfortunately, there is a minor side effect. When I use magic—even for the simplest of things—my eyes do this," he said, gesturing to his black eyes that seemed to contain swirling purple smoke. "It is very inconvenient being unable to use my craft in public. Of course the color does fade, though the amount of time it takes varies upon the extent in which I use my magic. For instance, a simple—" he trailed off with a snap of his fingers. Almost instantly, I saw the wick of one of the unlit candles burst into flame. "—only creates the effect for little over a minute." I stared at the candle in awe as the light from the flame danced across the walls. "Now for something more complex…" he flicked his index and middle finger at me and reflexively, I recoiled from whatever pain was about to come. Instead of a blow to the face as I had been expecting, I felt something rough scraping along my wrists and ankles. Snapping my head up, I gasped and watched with wide eyes as thin vines appeared from inside the wall to enclose my wrists and ankles—replacing the invisible bonds.

"I'm actually not supposed to be doing magic…my mother forbade me. Yes, she knows about my abilities. She has been dealing with them ever since my first blackout when I was a child and has not made her dislike for my magic a secret. You see, she does not have magic—it does not run through her veins as it does in mine. She doesn't understand and is therefore frightened. I promised I wouldn't use magic only to ease her mind… Of course, I do sneak in a little fun every once in a while," he winked, grinning devilishly.

"What would she think if she knew what you are doing right now?" I managed to choke out as I took in shallow breaths. The vines were cutting into my wrists and ankles painfully and when I looked up at my left wrist, it was already a bright red. _It won't be long before some of my blood is spilled._

"Oh silly Bella. Taking you is like stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. There might be a brief scolding, but otherwise nothing major." _Did he seriously just compare me to a cookie?_

"I'm a living, breathing person. Not a damn cookie," I replied angrily. He really was like his ancestor. It wouldn't be surprising to find out he was a glutton for sweets, especially with that comment.

"You didn't like that comparison? I actually think it fits quite well. The right cookie is soft on the inside and out. Based on what I have to look at, I'm sure you are the right kind of cookie," he had a gleam in his eyes that was so creepy that I shuddered.

"Why are you doing this? What did I ever do to you? I thought we were friends…" I sputtered sadly.

"I want more than friendship."

"I can't."

"There's your answer," he said bitterly.

"Why go through all this?

"All part of the fun," he smirked happily. I gaped at him. _How cruel could he be?_

"Fun? You honestly think murdering another human being is fun?" I asked.

He laughed a long throaty chuckle as I seethed before him. Finally, he settled down enough to speak. "Bella, you're not here so I can kill you…" My anger faded as it was replaced with confusion.

"I don't understand," I eventually said. He moved to stand closer to me—much too close for my comfort zone.

He licked his lips before he spoke. "You're here because _I want you_ to be." The way he was looking at me… I'd seen it before. That night in Port Angeles. A wave of disgust ran through me as I realized what he wanted and why I was truly here. I really was going to suffer the same fate as the girl from the story.

"You're sick."

"Bella, Bella, Bella—always in denial. When will you admit just how much you crave me?"

My tear ducts reacted in a typical way as I fumed. "_I'm_ in denial? You are holding me here against my will. I don't want anything to do with you. The only thing _I crave_ is seeing Edward wipe that terrible smirk of your face." I regretted my words the moment his name fell off my lips.

_Edward._

Surely mentioning him would not prove to be in our best interest—mine or Edward's.

"Enough," he growled. "Now it's your turn."

"My turn?" I asked quietly.

"You didn't honestly think this was going to be a one-way street did you? I just told you an awful lot about myself…now you owe me some information."

"You drugged, kidnapped, and are now holding me prisoner. I don't owe you a damn thing."

"You're going to tell me anyway."

I snorted.

"I was going to wait to administer this for a little while longer, but I am impatient and all that talk about vampires has me curious.

He brought the flask he had been twirling in his fingers up to my lips and I closed my mouth as tightly as I could manage.

"Here comes the plane," he grinned deviously. I shook my head left to right, refusing to open my mouth. He raised his other hand which was closed into a fist. He narrowed his eyes. "And… _Open_."

As he said those words, he opened his fist. I froze in horror as an invisible force slowly pried my mouth open. He pushed the opening of the flask to my lips and began pouring the liquid down my throat. I tried to use my tongue to block its access, but it seemed to be glued to the bottom of my mouth. The liquid burned as it went down my throat and I cringed as the last drops hit my tongue. The foul taste made the burning even worse—like I had swallowed a box of needles while some had stayed to puncture my tongue. The flask was gone from my lips and I started to choke as I sucked in shallow breaths.

My throat seared as I choked on the potion that seemed to have scraped along my throat as it went down. The pain was torturous and I could feel my bile duct fighting to release its contents from my stomach. The substance fought its way back up my throat so I opened my mouth and hunched forward as it made its exit. Taking deep breaths and still choking, I finally looked down at what my body had just expelled. There was a small pool of blood on the floor and I watched as another drop was added to it as it fell of my lips.

The taste was filling my mouth and I knew that I should feel very sick at this moment. I knew that it would only be a matter of seconds before the pool below would consist primarily of vomit. But the vomit never came. Neither did the sick feeling. In truth, my entire body felt calm and relaxed.

A tear fell into the pool of blood as I realized what he had just forced into my system. The potion from the story of his ancestor.

His name escaped my lips in a whisper. "Edward."

He stared into my eyes with a look of fierce determination. "Don't worry…the moment our lips touch, you'll forget all about _Edmund._ And you _will_ belong to me!"

I shook my head dismally and said with conviction, "I would _never_ forget Edward!" It sounded more like I was trying to convince myself. _I could never forget Edward._ Tears began streaming down my face.

"Oh no need to cry," he said as he leaned in and did something I didn't expect. His eyes bore into mine as he parted his lips and gently licked the tears off my face with his hot _slimy_ tongue. _He licked me!_ I could do nothing as I stood there with my hands and legs bound—so I spat in his face. He just grinned wildly as he wiped it off and licked his lips, probably still tasting my salty tears. How much I loathed whenever he touched me… I wanted to hurt him in ways I had never dreamed I would be capable of. But I was sure I would be able to find the strength if I ever escaped this terrible place.

I squared my shoulders and said as forcefully as I could, "Just let me go. You don't need to do this. You can get out of what you've done unscathed. _Just please let me go!_" Unfortunately, my last few words came out more desperate than I wanted them to.

He just smiled widely. "I rather enjoy you when you're like this…begging, pleading, for me to let you go. It is surprisingly attractive. I could almost leave you this way. I mean, there are plenty of things we could do that wouldn't involve kissing your lips… I think the hatred you seem to be emanating would only increase my pleasure…"

I just stared at him with my eyes wide open, frozen in shock and horror.

His wide smile fell and his brows furrowed thoughtfully. "Alas…" he continued, "That may not be a good idea. Suppose I were to be careless while in the throws of passion, and you were to escape back to your dear Edward? Of course, I could remedy that as well… I mean, how could you return to someone who no longer exists?" The corners of his mouth came up slightly at his last words.

"No! You can't hurt Edward! He has nothing to do with this! You want ME! Leave _him_ alone!" I screamed while seeing the image in my head as clearly as if it were unfolding before me—Edward's cold lifeless body lying on the cold granite floor. His eyes frozen open...empty and dead like they had been in my nightmare. All the intensity of his brilliant golden eyes… gone. Of course I knew Edward was a vampire and therefore was already cold and not of the living, but that knowledge didn't take away any of the pain I felt. This scene brought new rapid tears that began racing down my face.

"Don't worry… I wouldn't dispatch him in front of you. His death would be like that of a distant relative, someone who is easily forgotten in a short amount of time. Though…" His brows furrowed a bit and then after a moment, he began to smirk. "Hmm… Suppose I were to dispatch him in front of you?" His smirk became a full grin. "Imagine the intensity of your loathing…channeled into _other_ activities…"

I could feel the despair swelling in my chest as my heart completely ceased beating for a moment at the thought of seeing something so horrific. "No. Leave him out of this. Please. _Please_." I pleaded, trying to emphasize the last word, but having it come out in a mere whisper.

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly. "Oh how much I enjoy hearing that word being spoken from those lips." He raised his right hand and caressed my bottom lip with his fingertip. "It makes me want you more than I thought possible."

His words made me cringe. That smile. _His_ smile. The feel of his fingertip lingering on my bottom lip. I wanted to bite it off, but was immediately disgusted by the thought of having any part of him in my mouth, and the enjoyment he would surely get out of the act. It was sickening. It was sickening that my despair was only fueling his lust. Edward would want to tear that smile from his face. Edward would want to end his existence.

Edward.

I loved him more than anything. I loved him more than air and I loved him more than my own life. Then the image of Edward's lifeless body on the cold floor invaded my mind once again.

"_Please…_" That last word came out in a whisper again, as I realized what I would have to do. I would have to sacrifice myself to save Edward. Though I would die for Edward, the thought of having to leave him made my heart ache.

"What if…" I hesitated, "What if you didn't have to resort to force… What if I came willingly?"

His smile fell in shock. I could see desire light his eyes—he wanted this much more than he was letting on. If I had any hope of saving Edward, this was it.

"What?" he asked with a very blank face. I was sure he never considered the idea that I would ever comply with his wishes…_of my own free will_.

My face was hard and absent of emotion as I spoke the words. "What if I stayed with you willingly?"

The same light of desire filled his eyes again at my words. "You…would do that? You would be with me, willingly? You would leave Edward for me?" He asked the last question incredulously, but the look in his eyes didn't leave.

"Yes." I whispered simply. Hoping not to dwell on the gravity of what I was proposing and to move directly to discussing the conditions of my compliance.

I needed to sever the ties that pulled me toward Edward. There was no point in dwelling on what I was going to lose. There was no point to anything anymore. The only thing that I could do now was ensure Edward's safety. That was the only thing that was important to me now.

The chill that I felt shooting up my spine wasn't from the temperature—it had actually gotten uncomfortably warm since Mike had entered. It was from knowing what I was proposing—knowing that I would be giving up an eternity of love. I swallowed a big gulp of air, squared my shoulders, and set my jaw—about to face down my choice. He would not see me shed one more tear.

He gripped my waist on both sides with each of his hands. Then he brought his face down to my neck. He poked his tongue out, and proceeded to lick the length of my neck. His touch made my skin crawl. His tongue…his touch…was nothing like Edward's. Instead of electricity, it felt like the prick of a very tiny and very sharp needle. Every inch where his body had made contact with mine, was stinging from the pain of the needles. Every time his slimy tongue met my skin, it felt like someone had reached within my body, and began scraping at my lungs with long razor sharp fingernails. I remained still and tried to control my angry breathing as his tongue finally reached my chin and retracted back into his mouth. I couldn't afford to have him deny my offer, and I had a feeling that if I cringed at the moment—he would refuse.

Finally, his head titled up to look into my eyes. The expression on his face told me he was very skeptical of my proposition. Then he quirked an eyebrow as he asked, "What's the catch?"

I fought back the aching in my heart as I revealed the condition. "The catch is that you don't harm Edward."

He snorted and stepped back, releasing his grip on my waist. "I don't think I can agree to that," he said simply, without further explanation.

"Why not?" I pleaded. "I'll be with you forever. I just want to know Edward is safe." _I'll be with you forever._ These words created slashes in my heart as they escaped my lips. The feeling of self loathing I usually had was never as great as it was in this moment. Here I was…agreeing to be with _Mike_ forever. _Mike._ Despite the fact that I was only doing this to ensure that the image of Edward's dead body never became real, I felt absolutely terrible. I was a horrible person. When I had confessed my love to Edward, I had admitted my desire to be with him forever. Now I was saying it to this vile person (if you could call him that) standing before me. It was beyond wrong.

"You know… If my first plan had succeeded, there would be no need to harm your dear Edward," Mike said thoughtfully. I just stared at him confused, so he continued. "Yes I did have another plan," he said smiling. "I don't usually have to go through so much trouble to obtain what I desire… You see I know several words that if combined in the right order, would have you begging me to take you."

I gulped. His smile widened at my reaction.

"Unfortunately, all of these words proved ineffective when directed at you. It was all very…strange and frustrating. It was like you were able to block me from entering your mind…"

That was it. My weird brain had saved me again. How lucky was I that my brain didn't function like that of a normal person? I had never been more grateful of my odd brain than I was now.

"So I was forced to go to different measures you see," he smiled, gesturing to my restraints. "It took a lot longer than I would have suspected, to acquire all the necessary ingredients for this endeavor."

"My first attempt was successful…too successful in fact." As I considered the possible candidates for his freaky science experiment, one name began to scream at me with the memories of her obvious infatuation with Mike.

"Jessica?"

One of his eyebrows ascended up his face, surprised by my guess. "Yes. I didn't necessarily _need _to use a potion to persuade Jessica, but I did need to run a sort of _practice run._ She became needy though…and far too clingy. From what I read in Michael's notes, the subject is meant to feel an overwhelming devotion to whomever the potion is derived. This was the desired effect, but I did not foresee an obnoxious girl content on nagging me in her every free moment. Feigning a lack of knowledge of her feelings seems to dull her obsession to a notch under stalker."

I snorted in disgust. "What _notch_ is she in then?"

"Just an overbearing girl who can't take a hint. Things became far more difficult when she noticed my interest in you," he smirked. "Your independence, which I find very attractive by the way, should provide a necessary balance to that effect of the potion."

"You said '_whomever the potion is derived'. _What did you mean by that?"

"One of the key ingredients in the substance is a piece of me."

Bile invaded my mouth and I swallowed it down so I could speak. "A piece of you?"

"Yes. A few drops of my blood. Combining that piece of me with the substance creates a very powerful potion that effectively binds the drinker to me. It takes a couple of weeks to set and I, unfortunately, am an impatient man," he smiled widely. "I was cocky, and thought I could still charm you into making the decision yourself… You proved to be more resilient than I had thought."

So that was why he was always so persistent. I had wondered why he wouldn't just take the hint and leave me alone.

"Then you started hanging around _him_…" he said bitterly. "I had never really considered Cullen a rival, especially with the lack of interest he always had in the girls of Forks High. But something about you seemed to produce a reaction I had never seen from him before… You can't imagine how frustrated I became when _you_ showed interest in him after turning _me_ down…" He glared angrily in my eyes before he continued, "I have to say I didn't take the rejection well… I suppose it only made me more determined."

"I'm offering myself to you now," I said in a hollow voice. "Just forget about Edward."

"As appealing as that offer is…I can't."

"Why?"

"You may have noticed some animosity between Cullen and me. Well now that I know the full extent of my abilities, I just cannot resist getting a little revenge. Stealing his fiancée doesn't feel like enough…" I tried not to let his words spark anymore tears. Using the numbness I had allowed to swallow me back when Edward had left me, I was able to keep my voice steadily empty.

"So this was all a way to get back at Edward?" Truthfully, it didn't make a difference. The only thing that did matter was whatever plans he had for Edward. Those needed to be stopped.

"No Isabella. My main focus was always you. Hurting Cullen is just a perk," he grinned.

"Please," some emotion crept into my voice.

"No." He closed the distance between us and held my face in his hands. I recoiled, which only made him angry. "None of that will matter to you in a couple minutes."

I uttered one last "_Please_" before his lips connected with mine. Because I just had too.

Pain shot up my throat and in my lungs there was a terribly burning sensation. Unable to breathe, I attempted to jerk my face away from his, but he held my head tightly. Too tightly.

My whole insides felt like they were caving…and then it started.

My eyes widened as every lit candle and draped window vanished into darkness. There was absolutely nothing, but the darkness and the burning starting from my lips and going down my throat to sting my insides.

Then just as suddenly, images began to rush passed my waking eyes.

No. Not images. Memories.

I was standing in my house, cooking Charlie's meal. It disappeared.

I was sitting at a dining table with Alice, enjoying a lighthearted conversation would an extravagant breakfast. It disappeared.

I was lying in a soft and comfortable bed with a strong arm on either side of my head—keeping me below his body like a cage. It disappeared.

I was on a large quilt with Edward gracing my skin with cold, yet somehow fiery, kisses. He was gazing in my eyes with a look of pure need. It disappeared.

I was being held inches from the floor by Edward. It disappeared.

I was in Edward's bedroom looking down at his golden eyes which were filled with love as he asked for my hand in marriage. It disappeared.

I was running in desperation toward Edward in Volterra. Just a split second before I reached him, it disappeared.

I was lying on the floor of the ballet studio, writhing in pain. Edward pressed his lips against my arm. It disappeared.

I was experiencing my first kiss with Edward. My hands plunged into his soft bronze hair. It disappeared.

I was sitting in the meadow, marveling at Edward's sparkling body. It disappeared.

I was sitting in Biology using my hair as a curtain to block my face from Edward's murderous glare. It disappeared.

I was saying goodbye to Renee in Phoenix. It disappeared.

All my childhood experiences—they disappeared.

Everything…disappeared.

**A/N: You can thank punkfarie (read her fanfic: **_**Stripped**_**) for this. She told me this chapter wasn't an epic fail and what can I say…I got a confidence boost.**

**I would like to thank USrockerchick and ilovemovies22 for making me feel better after people were trashing this fanfic. You guys are the reason that I stopped cringing at review alerts and just...got back to writing. **

**Please review. I love reviews. They make me squee. And write a hell of a lot more. **


	10. Losing Love

**A/N: This isn't really the entire chapter. I meant to go a bit farther—switch the POVs at least once more, but I'm tired of waiting. I haven't updated in forever and it's irritating. So basically I'm just splitting this up into two chapters. You aren't losing any of the story…you're just getting this chunk now rather than later. =)**

**EPOV**

His lips were pressing firmly against hers in a forceful kiss. Something, maybe the pressure, was causing her pain. Images overwhelmed my mind of…Bella. No. These were memories. Memories of our night together…and then nothing. No…a new memory. An older memory. No…that one disappeared too.

Memory after memory of Bella's life assaulted my vision. It was as if I was watching a slideshow of her life, playing backwards in rapid bursts of speed. Each one disappeared. Almost all of them consisted of me, focused on my face. One after the other, they disappeared. Until finally, there were no more. Nothing. Darkness.

His lips left hers as he stood slightly back. Her head slumped forward—she didn't seem to have the strength to support it. Her eyelids slid shut. She was unconscious.

The scent of her blood wafted through the air of the candlelit room. There was a small pool of it on the floor, below Bella's face. I clenched my teeth as I noticed the fresh blood lingering on both Bella and Newton's lips. The monster was not fighting to surface. I was absolutely devoid of any desire to drink her blood—my only desire was to do Newton bodily harm.

I stood motionlessly, helplessly, as he tucked a stray piece of Bella's hair behind her ear. Every ounce of my being wanted nothing more than to rip those fingers off, claw his body to shreds—piece, by piece. By some strange enchantment, I was unable to move from the place in which I was standing, so I had to settle for staring daggers at this vile piece of filth.

Amidst all these feelings of hatred was my damned curiosity. The question was: _How could I have read Bella's mind? _How was I able to see such memories involving her life before Forks…her life before me?

Another memory flashed through my mind. It was from within our meadow—I was demonstrating my speed and my strength… This memory was different though. It was not expressed in the same tone as the memories prior. This tone was recognizable—I had heard it before.

"I could sense an extreme amount of power coming from within this town, _apart from myself_. But never did I suspect _you_. And never did I suspect _Bella_ to be so completely wound within this web of lies your family has weaved around yourselves."

"How are you able to access her memories?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"_I've already done the villain monologue._ That's what you get for being tardy. Though, it is quite comical that it seemed to take you ages to figure out that it was not Bella who sent you those messages. You would think that with her missing, you would have noticed that very obvious piece of evidence. _Tsk. Tsk_," he added in an appearance of disappointment. "I mean really…you were at the top of our class! It shouldn't have been so difficult for you. But then, I suppose that it must have been harder without being able to rely on your sister. I see my isolation charm worked efficiently to disrupt her visions."

"Almost."

"What was that?"

"Alice. She saw what happened to Bella. You're not as good as you thought," I taunted.

"No matter. Still took you a very long time to arrive. I had to start without you," he gestured to Bella's motionless form.

"What did you do to her?" I demanded. Even in her unconscious state, she looked defeated and broken. A sight that pained me to see.

"A better question would be: What _didn't _I do to her? Really…you should've gotten here earlier. It was quite a show."

A feral growl erupted from my chest as he replayed several memories that involved Bella.

In the first, he was peering down at Bella's jerking form. She was feeling blindly on the floor for the phone that he had already pocketed. I cringed with each and every convulsion and as my name fell off her lips in a sort of choked whisper.

The memory faded as a new one took its place. He was standing in a dark room, looking into the one we were currently occupying. There was a small figure sitting in a fetal position on a bed. The figure let out a sob and began rocking back and forth. As the figure shifted, the sound of rattling chains echoed through the room.

The sobbing ceased as the figure's head rose from its knees. I gazed into Bella's eyes as she stared directly at me. Another sob left her and tears welled in her eyes. Her forehead pressed against her knees again and her rocking increased.

_Enjoy that? No…I suppose not. I think I have just the thing…_

His thoughts drifted away to another memory. Bella's body was pressed against the wall—much like she was now. Despair colored her features and her sad brown eyes became alight with something…understanding?

All the emotion left her face—the despair that was once there vanished. She looked into Mike's eyes and said, "I'll be with you forever." The image shifted slightly and she spoke again. "I'm offering myself to you now. Just forget about Edward."

It felt as if a knife had been plunged into my chest. Instead of the blade meeting the resistance of my cold granite flesh, it pierced my skin and found its way into my dead heart. Even though my heart no longer beat within my chest, the shock and pain of what I had just seen caused my heart to stop.

Ironic a heart that was meant to be eternally numb with death could feel such pain. It was unsurpassable.

Another memory, the one in which I had witnessed upon my entrance into this room, hit me like a sledgehammer.

Bella's eyes were clenched tightly shut as Newton's lips moved upon hers. A single tear fell from the corner of her left eye, but Newton didn't seem to notice.

If he did, it didn't bother him.

Suddenly, her eyes flew open—widening much farther than I had ever seen. The emotion in her eyes was one of pure shock and horror as she stared at something I was sure I would be unable to see. Her gaze resembled Alice's when she had a vision, but _barely. _Bella's gaze was one of pure anguish—only comparable to the way she looked the day I had left her. The day I had told her I no longer wanted her. The day I would regret until the end of my existence—when I would be nothing more than a pile of dust.

Because that's what happens to monsters. Monsters who steal angel's from heaven only to submerge them into a world of darkness. A world of constant danger and pain. There was no doubt in my mind that this was my fault. If not for my selfishness, she would be living a happy and carefree life.

Good intentions did nothing to sway the evils of this world. My love for Bella did nothing but entice other monsters into making her a challenge. Without my presence, James wouldn't have ever known of my Bella, nor would Newton feel such a powerful need to claim her as his own.

Although I had restrained the bloodlust, I was still consuming her. Her happiness, her love, her life, and even her precious soul…

Now was not the time for self pity.

I knew all these things. I had swallowed them down when I had come to the conclusion that Bella was already marked for death. Maybe if I had never made the initial contact, she would be safe.

Actually…I was confident she would have been.

What ifs weren't vital right now. Right now, I was losing my Bella to another monster.

With a sweep of his hand, one of the candles went out. Then with another sweep, a flame appeared on the tip of the wick. Under different circumstances, I may have let my curiosity get the best of me. How he could possibly have such abilities was a mystery… An incredibly irrelevant mystery in comparison to whatever he had done to Bella.

There was a subtle difference to Bella's blood—it smelled slightly off… It still smelled of freesia and lavender, but now there was a numbing quality to it, like the scent I had followed to get here.

"You drugged her?" I asked in a tone that dripped with disgust.

"Sometimes love needs a push in the right direction," he shrugged.

I laughed humorously. "You honestly think that is love? Forcing yourself upon her by means of a chemical? This isn't love. This is a sick pervert taking advantage of a sweet innocent girl. You're the sorriest excuse for a human being that I have ever met," I spat.

He glared for a moment before waving his hand in the air. My head jerked to the side as an invisible force met my cheek with a loud smack. It was painful, but I managed to keep a humorless smirk upon my face.

"Did I strike a chord? You know she will never love you. This is all a lie."

Another force hit my face again, but I maintained my taunting demeanor. _Shut up Cullen!_

"How very cowardly. If you were _any _kind of man, you would fight fairly, rather than going for the cheap shots."

His anger increased, making his thoughts incoherent. If I could just distract him a little longer, he might lose his concentration. Only a sixty-fourth of a second of freedom was needed for me to pounce. He was close to breaking—I could feel it. Surprisingly, his mind suddenly went completely blank.

_I'll show you a cheap shot. _

There was a glint in his eyes that matched the malice of his grin. His hand rose once more and I tried to brace myself for the pain. From the look in his eyes, I could tell that this next blow would be worse than the others.

However, the force never came. I watched in horror as he waved his hand toward Bella's limp form.

"NO!" I yelled, my voice echoing in the small room.

Bella's face jerked roughly to the side while Newton just watched me in enjoyment. Fresh blood poured from her mouth, but she did not scream. She only whimpered as I stared brokenly—unable to do a thing.

"What? No comment from the peanut gallery?"

Reluctantly and gratefully at the same time, I tore my gaze to rest on the horrendous and monstrous creature just outside my grasp.

"Leave her alone," I snarled. When did he stop fearing me? A simple glare in his direction used to cause him to cower. Now he remained calm and confident.

If only he would move just a couple feet closer… I could snap his neck in the blink of an eye. The theatrics of how I would destroy him would go unused. He needs to die immediately, not rendered incapacitated.

Another force struck Bella resulting in another heave of blood. The rumble in my throat echoed in the room as Newton turned to look at me once more. "She is my puppet and I will do with her whatever I wish."

More growls filled the room and if it was not for my vampiric hearing, I would not have heard his next words. "Zip it Cullen! Or I _will _strike her again."

He gazed directly into my eyes—raising his hand once more. Abruptly, I fell silent—cringing at the prospect that my noises could cause Bella more pain. He smirked as he dropped his hand to his side.

"Better," he said in approval as he glided toward Bella.

With my lips pressed tightly together and my breathing cut off in an attempt at quieting my anger, I found it was only slightly more bearable to stand still. The urge to peel the flesh from his bones almost made my fingers twitch with anticipation.

"That look on your face," he chuckled lightly to himself and shook his head, "was _pathetic. _So _weak_."

_If I ever look that weak, I want to be shot. _

"That could be arranged," I mumbled in response to his unspoken thought. Thankfully, he didn't strike Bella again—most likely because he didn't hear my words. It was hard to determine exactly what he was thinking for his mind had been going blank continuously. Only in the more _intense _moments did he let any thoughts slip.

"The chemical I used for her bouquet has many effects. It has even been known to cause a type of reaction similar to that of laughing gas," he said absently. That explained why I was continuously finding humor while seeking Bella, though it is troubling that a chemical could affect a vampire.

His random comments were becoming even more irritating, but they did serve to stall. His plan was not decipherable through the medium of my mind reading ability, but I knew that whatever he did intend to do would be just as gruesome as what I had already witnessed. Or worse. 

Closer to Bella than I would ever allow, he trailed his fingers along her jaw. Slowly, they traveled down her neck until they reached her collar bone. My teeth ground together with enough force to pierce human bone as his fingers ventured further south and his thoughts were disgustingly lustful.

"Don't touch her."

How dare he touch her. How dare he defile her innocence, her beauty… with those sausage-like fingers. No one should ever touch my Bella like that without her permission. Didn't this fiend have any sense of right and wrong? Did he exercise any gentlemanly manners? Even with her permission, I was unsure of taking any steps with her. How could he behave so rashly? So callously?

"Lighten up Cullen. It isn't like she doesn't want it," he grinned, his hand dangerously close to one of her breasts. If he touches her there…

"Look at her. Chained up and _forced_ to endure your harassment. She doesn't want it. _She doesn't want you._"

"Oh but she does. I've seen it in her eyes when you aren't around. She covers it up quickly—probably too afraid of acting on her emotions—but its there."

With a cocked eyebrow, I asked, "Have you forgotten to whom she is betrothed? Look at her left hand. If she were harboring any feelings towards you besides repulsion, then why would she accept my marriage proposal?"

He smiled thoughtfully, "I suppose I could let _her_ tell you…" I tore my loathsome gaze from Newton to rest my eyes upon the sad and slightly purple lids of Bella. The way she looked was eerie—I had never seen her sleep so soundly. But then, I knew she wasn't technically asleep. I watched as her sad purple lids slowly lifted, revealing a pair of pitch black eyes—whose dominating qualities were empty and emotionless. Not empty of thought, just…_empty. _

**BPOV**

It was like I had rubbed my eyes for an extensive amount of time and then opened them. Tiny black sparkles dominated my vision when I initially opened them, but as the seconds passed, the black sparkles began to recede to the outer edge of my vision, allowing me to see what was around me.

I stared into the eyes of the creature slightly to my left. His eyes were boring into mine with so much intensity that I almost felt the need to look away. Almost. There was something to be said of the breathtaking despair that filled his gaze…it intrigued me.

Why was he looking at me in such a way? Had I met him prior to this odd circumstance, I might have had a clue. Perhaps I could have done something to earn the sadness emanating from his eyes. Alas, this was not the case for I had never seen this creature in my life.

Yes, he was a creature. Not a man. Despite our lack of acquaintance, I could conclude that. He was no mere man—he was special. Like my beloved. Like my Mike.

My eyes drifted around the unfamiliar room until they finally found the pair I was searching for. He was inches from me, smiling. I suddenly found myself smiling in return—his smile had always been so infectious. Although I couldn't recall a specific memory, I could remember him pulling out that smile when I was sad and it always elicited a grin in return.

Come to think of it, I could not remember much. I could not remember the last thing I had eaten, nor the last time I had taken a shower. All the memories that I did have, consisted of my time spent with Mike. My grin became more pronounced as I remembered the day he had asked me to the dance.

I had said yes right? I furrowed my brows in an attempt to remember. I could see him asking me. I could imagine my reaction of pure joy and my enthusiastic agreement, but I could not actually remember that part of the conversation.

Mike was still smiling at me. "Don't worry Bella; it is a bit disorienting at first." I was happy when he drifted closer to caress my cheek. I thoroughly enjoyed his touch and the way he said my name. My eyes darted from Mike when I heard a strange sound come from my left.

What was that sound? A growl?

My eyes darted to the noise and rested upon the strange creature. The pain in his eyes made me feel pity for whatever was wrong with him, but the menacing rage that also filled his gaze made me recoil.

That growl, the sound of it, seemed oddly familiar…despite its ferociousness. I found I could recall it, even through the blurriness of my memory. I remembered that sound like a mother might remember her child's cry. The sound was in a way, burned in their ears. They could easily pick it out among several other cries… As I was sure I could do with the bizarre growl.

I tried to walk towards the anguished creature, but found that I was unable to move. Noticing the vines that bound me to the wall, I looked over at Mike curiously. He smiled knowingly and with a wave of his hand, I fell to the ground. My knees buckled upon impact and I fell onto my knees. My hands met a tiny pool of blood—staining my pale skin with the vibrant red.

A terrible cry echoed through the room and I tilted my head toward its origin. The creature's eyes were panicked and his muscles looked strained as he fought the urge to help me up. The look in his eyes was not of someone who meant me harm.

Mike was standing a few feet away when I was finally able to reach an upright position. The reason for my wobbly legs was unknown, but then I couldn't really remember anything anyway.

I began to move toward the creature—I was curious. Mike watched me with apprehension, but said nothing. I wanted to tell him I would be fine and that this creature did not mean me any harm, but I couldn't seem to summon the words to my lips. An odd feeling, but speaking wasn't vital at this point.

There wasn't an urge to speak… There was only the urge to ease this creature's suffering. I felt that it was unfair to flaunt my happiness when this creature was clearly wallowing in some sort of pain and despair.

As I approached, the creature's eyes seem to soften fractionally, but the anguish never left. Now a foot away, I surveyed the peculiar creature. Unkempt hair and golden eyes. I enjoyed the color, for my Mike had a unique eye color as well. Mike had a gorgeous violet color that swirled within his eye like smoke. Was this creature a friend of my Mike? If only my lips could work…I could ask him.

I tried to forget about the color. There was something I needed to do, something I needed to communicate. Or maybe I just needed to understand what he was trying to communicate? The feeling was there, the need to understand. It was almost overwhelming. His pain, his anguish, was…unsettling.

Now standing an inch away, I could take in his ragged appearance. The stress emanating off of him was almost tangible. I noticed Mike's grimace out of the corner of my eye at my close proximity with the creature.

Silly Mike…worrying about my commitment to him.

His eyes spoke volumes, but it was in a language that I did not understand. The sheer force of emotion behind them was what made me take notice, but that was all. Still, his eyes were holding me there…in a trance.

My brows knit together as several blurry memories hit me. Trying to remember them was like staring into the sun. Although your eyes plead for you to stop, you cannot tear your eyes away.

I could now feel a pair of strong hands on either of my shoulders. Without looking up, I knew it was my beloved. I smiled as his touch drove the uncomfortable blurry images of gold from my memory.

"Bella…" the creature whispered in a beautiful voice, "Don't you know who I am?"

_Did I know him?_

Not once could I recall seeing his chiseled face or hearing his musical voice. His tone was one of great sadness—almost bringing tears to my eyes. His body appeared strong enough, but the way he spoke showed his inner fragility.

It was a breathtaking sadness to view, but I could not lie.

I did not know him.

Deciding a last effort was necessary, I sifted through the faces within my memories. His face did not seem like one I might forget, but I still had to try.

I frowned as the search yielded no results to his identity. My frown deepened as worry seeped in.

Why could I only remember Mike's face?

Surely I knew someone other than my love? Not to say Mike's face wasn't a pleasant sight, but where were the others? I must have had parents. It wasn't as if I had just materialized out of thin air. I had to have seen the faces of my teachers at school.

My exasperation started to build as I failed to locate a single memory that shown a face other than Mike's.

**A/N: Bella sounds different because her mind has gone through a lot. **

**Also, I've started another story. I haven't posted any of it yet, but if you would like to read the summary and give me some of your thoughts, check my profile. **

**Review? =)**


	11. Detox

**EPOV**

For so long I had spent much of my time wondering what could possibly be going on in the mind of my angel. My inability to hear her thoughts was more frustrating than trying to get Rosalie to see reason.

That part of her—that inaccessible part of her being—was a mystery to me. A mystery I had yearned to uncover since her first day at Forks High School. The day my existence changed. The day she walked into my _life. _

Now, as I look into her vacant eyes—listening to her vacant thoughts—I just wished it would go away.

I don't want to hear this Bella. This isn't my Bella. My Bella is locked away, deep inside her mind, confined by the chemical he had forced down her throat. Without her memories—everything that had shaped her into the woman I love—she is more or less an empty shell.

The tone of her thoughts didn't shine with the unique beauty that is my Bella.

Somehow, some of her qualities did fight their way to the surface. She was perceptive—accurately determining the fact that I was not a natural being of this world.

She was also caring—wanting to come to my aid because she deemed me as being in a _fragile _emotional state. Me? _Fragile? _

It was her mind that had been tampered with. Still, despite the fact that her bland thoughts were killing me and she didn't have her memories, she is still _my Bella. _Deep inside, she's there—just screaming to be free.

I will free her.

Because even if she could no longer recall her love for me, my love for her would never cease. Even if she confessed to have feelings for Newton, I would never leave her. If the feelings were her own, I would bow out and wait in hopes that she would tire of him and seek me.

But not this way. Not by some magical force. I will fight till the end of time to restore her memory.

Her thoughts weren't really thoughts at all. It was as if she were an author, describing the world around her in an indifferent way. Her thoughts lacked her personality. Though I could not be sure this wasn't how her thoughts always sounded because I had never heard them before, I knew they were wrong.

There had to be some way of restoring her memory. There had to be _something. _Something substantial that could break through to those blocked memories and return my Bella to me.

She stood before me, trying to remember who I was. Several images coursed through her mind in chaos and I barely noticed Newton approaching as I paid strict attention to Bella's thoughts. She winced momentarily when his skin made contact with hers. Her face and mind went completely blank a moment later and then the same eerie calm was in place.

Although the memories—or what I believe her thoughts a moment ago to be—were now completely wiped from her mind, and replaced with questions.

_Why could I only remember Mike's face? _

I almost smiled that Bella's mental capacity was still as strong as ever and she was still so very perceptive. It would take more than magic and chemicals to diminish her intelligence.

"The transition is a little rough on the mind for the first twenty-four hours…" he sighed thoughtfully. "But once the potion has enough time to settle into her system, she will succumb to its full effects." I glared at Newton, but he only laughed.

I suppose I am losing my touch.

Suddenly, all three pairs of eyes darted to the door as it swung open, crashing against the wall in a loud blow.

"Mike?" his mother asked as she took in the expanse of medieval stone and what appeared to be three teenagers bathed in candlelight.

Newton's hands left Bella's shoulders and his thoughts screamed in panic as his eyes registered her identity. He turned away from us, taking a hesitant step toward his mother.

I could feel the invisible force that bound me in place slipping as Newton's every thought was tinged with shock and fear.

Bella stood not even a foot from my grasp, staring at Newton and his mother in confusion. She looked back at me as she felt my stare. It was quite remarkable that when I looked at her, even with such a low intensity, she could feel it. I could hear the recognition in her thoughts—the deeper ones, the thoughts that even she is not aware of, recognize the strange electricity passing between our bodies.

The closer my proximity, the stronger the current surges.

_Who are you? _She pleaded, her eyes full of concern and longing.

A total of five seconds had passed since Newton's mother had barged into the room. Newton may have magic and concoctions of chemicals on his side, but speed is not among his heightened abilities.

Not speed of thought or movement.

The invisible wall caved in, allowing my arms to wrap around Bella's waist. She didn't struggle, for which I was grateful, but continued to stare at me in confusion and longing to understand.

The key to fixing what Newton had broken was in that strange electricity Bella and I felt. The electricity always increased when we were touching…

All thoughts in the room disappeared as I drew her in and pressed my lips to hers with as much force as I was permitted without harming her. In this kiss, I poured every once of love and adoration I felt for this enchanting woman.

Her lips burned against mine—far more than any other time I had ever kissed her before. Her entire body was dangerously overheated and I could feel her temperature rising as something pushed its way up her throat.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" Newton bellowed when the shock had worn off enough for his head to jerk back to watch us.

Reluctantly, I released her lips—maintaining my firm grip on her waist.

Her body grew rigid and she would have collapsed if not for my tight embrace. Instead, her whole upper body bent backwards so that her back was parallel with the floor.

The heat made its way to her mouth, which shot open with the building pressure. Eyes widening similarly to when Newton kissed her, the heat finally escaped her mouth in the form of purple smoke.

The smoke was thick and began to blanket the room and disrupt Newton and his mother's sight. When the smoke was finished leaving her body, she became limp and her eyelids slid shut.

Newton and his mother shouted among the smoke for they were unable to see even an inch in front of their noses. Luckily, my vampire senses gave my eyes the capability of sifting through the purple smoke to find a means of escape.

Releasing one of my hands from her waist, I swept my arm under her legs—bringing her tiny body to my chest. Carrying her in my arms, I ran to the door and through the hall until we were finally outside. The numbing scent was diluted by the purple smoke and I breathed in the fresh air and freedom.

**A/N: Kind of short…sorry. They aren't out of the woods yet (no pun intended), but maybe you will feel slightly more relaxed? A couple things to consider…**

**Does Bella remember? What was the purple smoke? Why was Mike's mother there? Will Edward and Bella be able to get away? **

**I know this story is a little odd, but review? **


	12. A Stubborn Return

**A/N: We've hit the 100 review mark. Yay! Because you guys are so awesome and I'm feeling excited about being in the triple digits, I'm posting this chapter. What's the deal with all these short chapters you say? Idk. I'm going to be super busy this week and I figured I'd post it now rather than wait till the end of the week and post it with the same amount of progress. **

**I also forgot to mention in the last A/N that this story is now over 50,000 words!!! Excuse me while I go do my happy dance. **

**EPOV**

The trees swayed roughly in the breeze and despite my labored breaths, Bella's were calm and easy. I half expected her to need medical attention with the way that strange purple smoke had burst from her mouth.

Although I wasn't entirely sure what had transpired once I kissed her, for I was not an expert in dark magic, I was fairly certain the electricity from my kiss had forced the potion from her body in the form of the purple smoke.

I was amazed a kiss from me could illicit such a reaction. And I will admit—I was feeling a little cocky as well.

Bella sucked in a sharp breath and I looked down to ensure nothing pressing had happened to her. Of course I would be taking her Carlisle immediately for examination, but we needed to leave this place first.

She appeared fine, apart from the deepening crease where her eyebrows met. Her thoughts were becoming clouded and slowly the tone of her thoughts began to disappear. There were memories—filtering in and out of her head—but as the seconds passed, the dimmer they became. I could only pray my kiss had cured her and had not made matters worse.

A sharp pain hit me between the shoulders, causing my body to lurch forward and Bella to fly from my arms.

"BELLA!" I screamed as her body made contact with the trunk of a tree several feet away. The force of that blast combined with my speed had propelled her body from my arms.

I was only relieved minimally when I noticed that her injuries weren't particularly serious, but their mere presence angered me beyond reason. She had landed on her stomach after the side of her body had made contact with the bark of the trunk. Her hair was strewn all around her, becoming tangled with grass.

I tried to lift myself off the ground, but my body felt strangely sore and weak. A feeling I had not had since I was human. I gazed longingly at Bella as I used my hands to claw into the dirt and drag myself closer to her.

She began to stir and I found myself holding my breath as she lifted herself a few inches off the ground, using her arms for support. She squinted into the darkness, seeming to be searching for something. An audible growl escaped my lips when I noticed the slight cut she had in the corner of her mouth and the crimson liquid dripping onto the grass.

I would have noticed the blood before if it had not been for the numbing scent that still filled the forest. The purple smoke may have diluted it, but it was still there.

With the sound echoing in the almost silent forest, her eyes darted to where I laid—reaching towards her hesitantly.

_What if she still didn't remember me? What if even the absence of the potion had not cured her? What if there was no cure? _

In the small expanse of time that passed as she met my gaze, I had already formulated a plan.

If she still did not recall my face or any of her other memories, it didn't matter. Well, it _did matter_, but it wouldn't change anything. Not my feelings or my need to be with her.

I would bring her to Carlisle, as originally planned, and if he could not yield any solutions, I would take care of her. It would take some persuasion on my part, to have Charlie agree to allow me to maintain a constant presence, but I would be there. I would be there for her in any way she wished.

I would court her, remind her of what her mind had forgotten, and eventually we would be married.

At another point in time, I may have considered extracting myself from her life.

It would undeniably be safer for her—not to remember my face. Unlike the first time, she would not feel any pain or grieve over my absence. She would be free to start a new life with a clean slate. Charlie would take care of her…maybe even Renee.

Yes, Renee would have been the key. Leaving Bella in Forks would only allow people to remind her of me and my family, which would defeat the purpose of my departure and eliminate the opportunity of a fresh start.

Alas, this option is gone. I knew deep beneath my granite skin that I could never abandon Bella again. To abandon her in such a state would be beyond cowardly and would destroy me.

"Edward?" she whispered as she stared at me with a blank face.

"You remember me?" I whispered back, in disbelief.

A wide grin spread across her face as she hoisted herself up, straining with the effort, and kneeled by my side. She placed her hand on my cheek and I leaned into it, letting a small smile cross my lips in return as she stroked my cheek with her thumb.

"Forever."

A deafening crashing sound filled the forest as a bright light lit up the tree Bella had hit only moments ago. The fire spread at an alarming rate till the whole right side of the forest was aflame.

Bella screamed, the brightness of the flames lighting up the horror in her eyes. Again I tried to push myself up, but only managed to make it to my knees before falling forward on my hands from the effort.

"Edward, what's wrong?" she pleaded, frantically trying to peer up at my face.

"Just…a little weak. Are you okay?" I asked—looking up from the grass I was unintentionally ripping from the ground.

I wanted to ask her how her memory was, but I knew we would probably need a lot more time to discuss it than the limited amount we were granted now—before Newton would reached us.

"Same," she whispered. "Why are you weak?"

I briefly considered lying, but decided that the current situation made hiding the truth unimportant. "I'm not sure… Something hit me from behind. I can only assume it was the same force that hit those trees."

As if to accentuate my point, another deafening crash of light hit, setting fire to the rows of trees on our left. Her eyes flashed to the fire and then back to mine in terror. With shaky hands, she leaned over me to examine my back.

She gasped at whatever she had seen and I turned slightly to see a medium sized scorch mark on my shirt to accompany the pain that I had originally felt. It was almost completely absent now as she trailed her fingertips along the edge of the burnt spot on my shirt.

"YOU CAN'T HAVE HER YOU PARASITE! SHE'S MINE!" We both flinched and looked back to see Newton rushing towards us with what appeared to be a ball of fire hovering inches from his palm.

"Bella, I need you to run." She tore her eyes from the ball of fire in his grasp to glare at me.

"I'm not leaving you."

"Bella," I growled. Why did she always have to be so stubborn?

"I. Am. Not. Leaving. Without. You." She spoke each word forcefully and her glare never wavered.

"Please Bella. I can't bear to lose you," I begged, hoping that for once, she would listen to me.

"And I can't bear to lose _you_. I already lost you _twice_…" she swallowed, tears welling in her eyes, "_I will not lose you again_."

I was not sure what she was referring to when she said she had lost me twice, but the sheer broken look on her face stopped any protest I would have made.

**A/N: I posted the Preface for my new story "Sweet Relief". I would appreciate your thoughts, so please read it and leave a review. It's a lot darker than Dark Magic or LITMF. Mega angsty. **

**Leave a review, and I may keep updating like this… I mean this sure beats waiting half a month doesn't it? **


	13. Nowhere To Run

**A/N: This chapter is super short and I am so sorry. It has been FOREVER since I updated this story and again, I am sorry. I just…haven't been feeling this. **

**BPOV**

To feel your memories slipping away, to watch everyone you have ever cared about retreat back from you, to watch every precious moment that you have ever cherished fade away into darkness…

It's an experience worse than death.

To feel yourself sinking deeper and deeper, but never reaching unconsciousness and to feel the lapse in control over everything, even your own feelings…

I would not wish this upon anyone.

Fortunately, the potion worked to trick the mind, but it could never fool the heart.

That Bella, the one that felt enthusiasm with Mike's approach… That wasn't me.

Well, it was me…minus all the pesky memories and adding the unnatural love for him.

All lies.

I was aware of _everything_.

Although my thoughts yearned for his touch, my heart only yearned to take a shower to relieve my body of such a terrible chemical burn. My heart kept me alive, kept me from succumbing to the numbing darkness that threatened to envelope me from the moment his lips touched mine.

I knew that if I did, all would be lost.

Every memory would remain gone and I would lose Edward forever.

Fortunately again, my heart and my bones could somehow still feel the spark of electricity tingling my skin. Despite the lack of acknowledgement, my mind knew the electricity was not coming from Mike. And it also knew there was something pulling me toward the god like creature that had nothing to do with pity.

It could feel my heart breaking with the look upon his face—the features contorted in pain. Even if it was not aware of my heart's true desires, it knew the erratic thumping wouldn't ease until its needs were met.

Thankfully, Edward met those needs. I was almost afraid he wasn't going to do it… Through the window my heart created into my hollowed out mind, I caught a glimpse of his expression and only prayed he would save me from this cage.

Being trapped within my mind was like being in a pool of freezing water. The temperature was so low that with my body almost completely submerged, my arms and legs grew painfully numb. My skin felt as if it had been rubbed raw with the effort to keep my head above water.

I was slowly giving in to the terrible surrounding liquid, despite my efforts. The feeling of true love fading with each second that passed by as the potion's effects continued to spread throughout my system.

I was so afraid. So afraid that the real Bella Swan would disappear and Mike would dispose of my Edward before my eyes, like some sort of show. For reasons I could not begin to understand, Mike's powers were able to affect and inflict damage upon my vampire.

He wasn't invincible and that thought sent a shiver down my spine.

With the trees on either side of us set ablaze, there was only one way for us to run. Mike was quickly approaching; wielding some sort of energy ball and Edward couldn't even fully stand.

He actually thought I would leave him.

I had already lost him too many times to ever allow that to happen. Both times he had left me without my consent—not that I would ever consent to his departure.

The first time I had lost him to his own misguided view of our situation. He thought that by leaving me, he would be giving me a better life.

He couldn't have been more wrong. No matter what happened to me, I couldn't ever regret a moment of my time spent with him.

The second time he was taken from me in the worst way possible. Even when he had left me all those months ago, I latched onto every precious memory I had of him, though I was not allowed to access them. Still…they were there.

My greatest fear was forgetting.

Placing Edward's arm around my neck, I pulled him into a standing position. He seemed to have almost completely recovered, making it much easier than I would have expected to get him to maintain an upright position.

After a couple minutes of towing him, he removed his arm and took my hand, quickening our pace. We ran, his eyes shifting left to right, likely seeking some manner of escape. I knew that even with his remarkable eyesight, he wouldn't find one.

We passed a small clearing and I couldn't help but smile at the memories. Memories. I could remember our night together before he had left to go hunting, before I had been taken. Strange that Mike's cabin had been so close to our little spot of happiness.

The sky was dark and I knew a treacherous storm was brewing by the howl of the wind, carrying the flames across the forest. My hair whipped across my face, interfering with my vision and leaving me to rely on Edward to lead the way.

I wasn't worried though. I trust Edward more than I trust myself.

The edge of the cliff came into view, the long fall to the water becoming our only way out.

"Edward—"

"I know," he cut me off, his jaw clenched. His body tensed as he turned to me. "No matter what happens, I want you to find a way out." His eyes were mesmerizing, trying to persuade me into giving into his wishes.

"I told you I'm not going to leave without you," I snapped, tired of him always putting my wellbeing before his own. I would rather die than lose him again.

"I know, I know," he said in a way that was clearly meant to placate me. Releasing my hand, he cupped my face and stared into my eyes intently. "Just promise me you'll find a way out."

"I love you," I whispered, still refusing to leave him. He sighed and brought his lips to mine, but paused before they met, parting them. "I will love you for all eternity. Whether upon this world or in hell's fire, I will never forget you," his eyes smoldered in the light of the flames enclosing us to our likely doom.

Closing the distance, our lips met in a passionate kiss, applying more pressure than he ever had. In this kiss, I poured all my love and all my desire. There was desperation and longing and so much emotion that I felt my legs quiver. All too soon, another blast of light filled the sky and he broke the kiss.

We stared into each other's eyes, neither of us wanting to acknowledge the boy who was almost here. After a moment, Edward offered me his crooked grin, and I returned a small smile before we shifted to face what was coming, his hand in mine.

**A/N: I can't believe this went so long without an update. I am so disappointed in myself. If you have the time, please check out one of my other stories: **_**Sweet Relief**_** which has been nominated in the Indie TwiFic Awards (and which I update a hell of a lot more frequently). **


	14. Damsel No More

**A/N: This chapter was made possible by punkfarie. If it weren't for her kind words and reassurances that this story isn't complete crap, it would have taken much longer to be written (if at all). Please show her your appreciation by reading her story: **_**Stripped**_**. It's in my favorites. **

**BPOV**

"Nowhere to run," he laughed maniacally, balancing his energy ball inches above his palm. Despite the ferocity of the wind, his hair remained unaffected. "Did you really think you would be able to get away?"

Edward only responded with a low growl, pulling my body slightly behind him. Glancing up at his face, I noticed how dark it was, his features tainted by rage and loathing, but still undeniably beautiful in its malevolence. His lips were set in a hard line when he finally did speak. "Leave now and I will consider sparing your life," he spoke calmly, his voice contrasting his face.

Mike just chuckled some more, even throwing his head back a little in his fit of laughter. "You won't be able to spare anything, but purple smoke to the wind. That's right. Bella told me how to kill you bloodsucker!"

My eyes widened in horror as I realized he had plucked that bit of information from my head. What was worse was the way he had done it. "You're disgusting," I spat, the memory of his slopping and persistent lips running through my head.

"You won't think so," he grinned. The sound of fire crackling permeated the air as Mike's stance changed ever so slightly. What happened next was so fast that I didn't even have time to react.

Edward's hand left mine and then I was flying off to the side, where I landed in a mound of grass. Flipping my head around, I watched the scene unfold right before my very eyes. Mike thrust the ball of energy towards him, hitting him square in the chest.

"EDWARD!" I screamed.

Edward doubled over, his head ducked into his chest as his hands met the ground.

Mike let out a loud guttural laugh. "So weak." He glanced at me and winked. "Now Bella will get to watch and once you are gone, I will claim her. She won't even remember you," he taunted. His hands came together before slowly inching away, leaving a surge of glowing electricity pulsing between them.

In that moment, I wasn't thinking of what I probably should have been. Not my father or my mother. Not Alice or any of the other Cullens. And definitely not myself.

I wasn't going to just watch from the sidelines. I wasn't going to be the damsel in distress. I wasn't going to stand there and watch him die. I was going to save him.

"NO EDWARD!" I screamed.

The energy collided with my body as I flung myself into the line of fire. An electric current ran painfully from my head to my toes as the blast threw me backwards. I lay there on my stomach with my face pressed into the grass, suffocating on the green blades. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't see.

But despite the massive shock to my nervous system, my heart still called out to him.

_Edward_.

Was he alright? Did I get there in time? Did Mike throw another energy ball at Edward after I absorbed the first?

Incapacitated, I tried to call his name—just whisper it at least, but I couldn't make my tongue work. I felt like I was playing Jello—relinquishing all control over my limbs. All I could hear was the crackle of electricity. Had it affected my hearing?

_Please speak_, I begged. I needed to know if Edward was okay. I needed to know that my stupidity wasn't a total waste.

He was here because of me—to save me. If anything happened to him, I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

_Who knows, I might be dead already._

But if I was dead, then what was that noise?

"What an interesting turn of events."

The current from the energy ball was still running through my limbs, leaving the owner of the hands that grabbed my waist a mystery. The temperature wasn't warm or cold, just there somewhere beneath the sharp jolts.

My face left the grass and I strained to open my eyes. There he was in all his glory, towering over me with love, concern and panic burning in his eyes. His gaze surveyed my body, trying to detect any injuries I might have sustained. Chest rising with the deep breath he took, I could hear the low rumble from his chest. Maybe he could smell the sparks under my skin.

"I love you," I whispered, tears in my eyes.

"Why did you do it?" he asked sadly, wiping some of the dirt off of my face. For someone so brilliant, he often asked the dumbest questions.

Why wouldn't I do it?

He is my fiancé.

My love.

My everything.

He frequently saved my life from the impending doom that always seemed to be lurking around every corner. Why wouldn't I jump at the opportunity to return the favor? My actions weren't out of guilt, or to repay him…

They were out of love.

I would willingly sacrifice myself in every way possible if it meant his safety.

I parted my lips to answer—

"Silence!"

With a strange finality, mouth snapped shut. Edward stared at my lips. "Bella?"

Edward.

_Edward._

_Edward!_

I tried to answer, over and over. I willed his name to come out—the name that always fell off my tongue so easily. But my mouth stayed shut and I remained silent.

"_Bella,_" he pleaded as I looked into his eyes in fear.

"Stand."

Without any warning, my immobile limbs began to move, leaving Edward's arm to stand at his side. Edward was up in a flash, shaking my shoulders in desperation.

"_Bella!"_

Groaning at still being unable to speak, I tried to communicate with my eyes.

Edward.

_Help me._

"She won't respond unless I tell her to," he said. His triumphant grin grew as Edward pleaded with me to say something. Anything.

"Bella." Without my permission, my body angled toward him, but my eyes didn't abandon their fixated gaze on Edward.

"Come."

I shook in fear as my feet propelled me forward. Mike was standing fairly close, the flames behind him absorbing the ominous trees they flickered upon. In a split second, Edward was standing in my line of vision, but I couldn't stop.

"Bella, stop." I didn't. I _couldn't_.

"Bella, please say something!"

His hands flew to my face, cupping my cheeks gently. A moment after our skin connected, a surge of electricity pulsed up through my cheeks. I watched in horror as the current shocked him and he crumpled at my feet. Whimpering at the pain marring his face, I continued my trek to the bane of my existence.

Mike Newton.

Who was he to demand I develop feelings for him?

Who was he to rip my love from me, to cause him pain—to _use me_ to cause him pain?

Glaring at his snarky smile, I planted my feet before him. Not in an act of disobedience, but because he had clearly meant for me to stop there. Once I was by his side, he grabbed my wrist forcefully, pulling me with him to the Cliffside.

Edward's body was still shaking on the ground from the aftershock, but his eyes were glued to me.

Begging.

Pleading.

_For what?_ I wanted to ask.


	15. A Preposterous Truth

**A/N: I'll admit, I've kind of been sitting on this chapter for a while. I was hoping to finish the remaining chapters before posting so that you wouldn't have to wait ages in between updates, but I absolutely hate Chapter 16 so far. Plus, it has recently come to my attention that I've almost gone a year without updating this. I am so very sorry. Time sure does fly… **

**BPOV**

"You were meant for me. If he would have just stayed away, you would be mine. You were the prettiest girl in school and I was the best looking guy. _He_," Mike pointed at Edward with disdain, "_isn't even human_. He shouldn't exist."

I stared at him incredulously. How can a warlock argue that vampires shouldn't exist?

"But that doesn't matter anymore because I know how to fix this. You might still be susceptible."

He pulled my body closer to his and with a flick of his wrist. I felt the imaginary adhesive binding my lips together loosen.

"Edward—"

Mike grabbed my jaw and jerked it toward him. "Look at me!"

Mike was staring at my lips desperately, mumbling about lost love.

Love—as if that is what he feels for me. No. It isn't love. He only wants what he can't have.

He doesn't even really know me.

"You might be able to control my body, but you'll never control my heart."

His fingers pressed into my skin painfully as he glared.

It all seemed so familiar—the cliff side, the storm brewing overhead, the way the waves collided angrily with the rocks at the bottom, the screeching of the wind. It was all so similar to another time in which I faced the edge of a cliff. Yet…so very different.

Different because I was not depressed and seeking an adrenaline rush. I was not desperate to alleviate any pain. Different because I did not feel unloved—I could clearly feel the electricity from Edward's cold frame, despite our distance.

Different because as I was thrust over the cliff side, the agonized voice I heard, did not come from my subconscious. Different because I did not feel exhilarated as I fell through the air—plunging into the cold black water and my certain death.

Miraculously, I missed the sharp jagged rocks that cut through almost ever inch of the water's surface. My throat already felt raw from screaming—decreasing the amount of time I would have to find the bank. The frigid water tore at my skin, slicing the inside of my throat as it slid down—like I had swallowed a bag of tacks.

A new scream left me as I felt my arms and legs lock into place. Unable to move, I watched in horror as the waves swarmed around me, little drops stinging my cheeks like bees. My face still retained movement—making screaming possible. My lungs ached as the water pushed its way down my throat. I stopped screaming and held my mouth tightly shut.

…

**EPOV**

Her body slid into the waiting water, disappearing among the waves. I was powerless to stop it.

I was drained, my strength depleted in a way I am certain I have not experienced since I was alive.

Regardless of this, I used what little strength I did have to lunge at the object of my fury. I caught him off guard for he was too preoccupied smiling triumphantly at the destruction below, imagining the way the waves would crush and mangle Bella's body as she was smashed into various rocks.

I would have dove in right after her if not for him. I knew from his thoughts that the moment I did, I would be hit with another one of his energy balls, rendering me completely useless. I would have to dispatch him first.

With my hands around his neck, I willed my strength to return so that I could crush his wind pipes.

His laughter taunted my ears and increased my anger beyond all reason as his mind created image after image of Bella.

Bleeding. Choking. Screaming.

I squeezed slightly, feeling the numbing electricity beginning to leave my system. The pressure of my fingers against his throat barely stifled his laughter. The inconsequential human boy that had once annoyed me in the halls of Forks High was gone. All that remained was a deranged monster.

"Neither of us will have her!" he cackled.

I gritted my teeth and squeezed tighter. I was so close.

_Hold on, Bella._

"Please…please don't kill me. Please don't kill me yet," he pleaded.

"Why should I spare your life even for one more moment?" I asked incredulously. My compassion had run out for this boy long before he had thrown Bella off the cliff. My earlier declarations of allowing him to live had merely been a ruse to transport Bella to safety.

He was going to die tonight, one way or another.

"Because if you kill me now, I won't get to watch Bella's eyes glaze over as she chokes on her last breath."

I ripped his vocal chords out.

His arms were flailing, and his hands were clawing at his neck as he bled. His eyes were wide with fear and pain as I watched him squirm. The stench of his blood did not tempt me in the slightest. It smelled like melted plastic.

This sight would never tire me, but I had more important things to do, so I snapped his neck.

…

**BPOV**

Once more I was reminded of the last time I did this and how my earlier intentions for cliff diving faded away as I considered just giving up and allowing the water to claim me. It was only Edward's voice that kept me fighting for the elusive surface.

This time I didn't want to give in and accept my fate. This time I wanted to kick until my heart stopped.

The irony is that despite all of this, I still couldn't _move_.

Last time Edward's voice had been there in the end when all hope was lost, when I had quit trying to live. He had been there—his velvet voice filled with concern, wrapped around me like a security blanket.

Now, I had no one.

I would die all alone, kicking phantom limbs because mine might as well have been gone.

My irritation soon ebbed though. My lack of mobility had sped up the numbing process of the icy water. I couldn't move now even if I had control.

Since time was almost out and I was stuck here in this murky abyss, I decided to use my memories as a way to cope. They may not be vivid like what I used to experience from those adrenaline rushes, but they were definitely better than nothing.

I chose to remember inconsequential things—like Edward teasing me for being so stubborn, that little crease he got between his eyebrows when I particularly frustrated him.

I wondered what would happen to Edward when I died. Would he go back on his promise? Would he try to kill himself again?

I imagined the conversation we would never have.

"You can't go back on a promise you made to a dead woman, Edward. It's rude."

My thoughts turned dark as I imagined sitting on a cloud in heaven, all alone and waiting for the man I love to join me. Dwelling on the fact that he's immortal and would probably never join me.

What if he found someone else?

I love him enough to want him to be happy, even if it's with someone else, but it would kill me to watch. I _would_ watch too. I would sit there on my cloud of eternity, watching the man I love be with someone else.

I sighed deeply, internally.

Dying was really going to suck.

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself though. Maybe there isn't a heaven at all. Maybe the afterlife is just a body decomposing in a wooden box buried underground. Maybe after life, there's nothing.

It was a disturbing possibility to think about, but at least I wouldn't have to watch Edward die or watch him love another.

I thought about all the close calls, all the vampires, all the werewolves. I thought about how none of them could get rid of me.

But Mike Newton did.

It was a preposterous truth to think about.

Overbearing, but essentially harmless—couldn't take no for an answer—Mike Newton. The little excited puppy walking me to class on my first days in Forks. The boy with the overeager smile.

The idea of him winning the popular game "Let's kill Bella Swan" seemed utterly ridiculous.

I imagined fate appearing at Mike's door in the form of an old man in a business suit holding a giant check and yelling "Winner! Winner! Chicken dinner!"

The same man would knock on Edward's door with a fruit basket in his hand and say, "Sorry son. You lost the game 'Let's keep Bella Swan alive', but please accept this consolation prize and thank you for playing!"

It's weird…the things you think about when you're dying. Wasn't my life supposed to flash before my eyes, or something?

I realized that had never happened—not in any of my near death experiences. Was there something wrong with me? Or was that whole idea a load of crap?

I was drifting.

I could feel my body being pulled deeper and the corners of my mind fogging—the defroster wasn't working. It was too cold for the mechanisms in my body to keep up with the icy chill. I was going to crash into oblivion.

Any moment now.

Everything ceased.

The current stopped dragging me toward the bottom and everything was stationery. I was now a fixed point in time, preserved by the nature around me—fossilized in my final moments. That was when I felt it.

I was moving, well…not moving. I couldn't move. I was done.

But I was floating…

I left the surrounding waters I had become acquainted with. I was rising above—a spirit leaving Earth to join the land of clouds.

I wished I could have seen Edward one last time. I wished I could have told him I loved him and not to blame himself for my death. I wished I could have been changed before all of this. I wished I wasn't losing an eternity of happiness.

But I was.

…

**EPOV**

I dove into the icy waters, silently praying that it wasn't too late. I couldn't lose her. Without her, I'm nothing.

She is the most wonderful person in the world and deserves to live. If I could, I would trade my life for hers in the blink of an eye and endure my place amongst Hell's fire.

My vampire abilities were gradually returning, albeit much too slow for my taste. I felt more human in this moment than any other—dealing with the inadequacies of human eyesight and strength. The current was trying to drive me off course and was very close to succeeding.

I plunged my head under the surface, seeking out any trace of Bella. Luckily, Newton's spell hadn't changed the fact that I didn't need to breathe. This substantially improved the possibility of finding her before it was too late.

Unwanted images assaulted my mind of a mahogany coffin and a weeping family. As the images grew clearer, I could see myself staring down at Bella's lifeless form—the evidence of the torturous water's mangling of her body barely present.

I blocked the images and thoughts I now knew to belong to Alice, only hearing a faint "_Edward_" before refocusing on my primary objective. I swam toward the bottom, scanning my surroundings as I did so. My agility had almost fully returned when I noticed the tiny drifting form before me.

Moving at a speed inhumanly possible, I grabbed her body and began to drag her upward. Her eyes were closed and her heartbeat was staggering—I was close to losing her.

We broke the surface and I towed us back to shore, lifting her body out onto the grass before climbing out. I swept the wet hair away from her face, staring helplessly at her blue lips. I often wished to be human, so that I could give Bella a normal life, so that I could share some human experiences with her.

But I had never wished for my own body heat more than in this moment.

…

**BPOV**

I could feel a distant ache in my limbs—spreading into my chest and sliding into my throat with a jagged scrape. I really kind of missed the floating—the weightless and hollow feeling that overshadowed all others.

There was a constant rush of air or water whooshing through my ears, making my head throb with its force and volume.

I could feel pressure on my chest. Constricting. Too constricting.

I wanted to shoo away whatever heavy object was weighing down on me, but I couldn't move.

Was the afterlife supposed to be this painful?


End file.
